Blyth Spartans boss 'won't give up' in relegation battle as Leek Town test lies ahead

Michael Connor has insisted Blyth Spartans won’t accept relegation until it is ‘mathematically impossible’ as his side look to rack up only their fourth league win of the season on Saturday afternoon.

Former FA Cup fourth qualifying round opponents Leek Town will be the visitors to Croft Park as Spartans aim to bounce back from their narrow midweek defeat against Stockton Town. Despite putting in a battling display against the Anchors, Connor’s side were undone by a stunning long-range effort from visitors substitute Michael Fowler and fell to their eighth defeat in 14 home league games.

The result almost meant Spartans lie eight points adrift at the bottom of the Northern Premier League Premier Division and they sit 16 points from escaping the drop zone. After suffering just one relegation in their entire history, a second consecutive demotion looks increasingly inevitable as a challenging season on and off the pitch approaches its final two months.

Despite their perilous situation, Connor insisted his players will keep battling and revealed his pride over the attitude shown by the younger members of his squad.

He told The Gazette: “We are already trying to plan for next season and the board have inherited a lot of creditors that have come out of the woodwork that they weren’t aware of. We are suffering on the pitch at the minute because they are trying to get the club stable. We can sit and whinge but it’s happened so we just have to get on with it. We won’t give up, we will give it a good go and I hope people saw that against Stockton. We didn’t create enough but we will see what tomorrow brings. There are seven days in for players, they might go but the wages will be paid because the board are doing everything possible to reboot this football club.

“It’s about winning games but we won’t accept relegation until it’s mathematically impossible. You can say we’ve only won three games all season and that it’s going to happen but we will keep fighting. Leek will be a hard game but we will give it a good shot and will hopefully have a couple back to boost the squad. We are having to throw young lads in and I am proud of them for what they are trying because they’ve put a shift in. The fans have been great, I think they understand where we are it.”

There was one departure confirmed ahead of Saturday’s game as Greg Halford left Spartans to join East Division club Bishop Auckland.