Morpeth Town manager Craig Lynch is confident of beating the drop

The Highwaymen have nine games to go, with just a two-point cushion between them and the sides in the relegation zone.

It’s a precarious position, but Lynch is hoping players returning from injury and a new loan signing can help turn the tide.

Left-back Chris Reid is nearing a return, with Josh King also back in contention for a starting place. Tom Chiabi has joined the club on loan from Sunderland to bolster the midfield, with Fenton John set to feature more regularly after extending his temporary spell from Middlesbrough.

That bodes well for Lynch, despite having the nuisance of two postponed games in succession leaving his side without a game in 10 days before the home clash with Stalybridge Celtic on Saturday at Craik Park.

“Having two games postponed this week is very disappointing as, for me, you know they’ve got to be fit in a few weeks time,” said the Morpeth boss.

“At this stage of the season there isn’t much time and the stakes are high, so it is going to be a big end to the campaign.

“I like to be positive so I see the current situation as a chance to build momentum and, if things aren’t going right, there’s always a game soon after if you need to correct things.

“It means you can freshen the team up and there’s always going to be a game.

“It’s going to be a big group performance for the last six weeks and we need everyone when called upon to be right at it.”

Seventeenth travels to 18th at Craik Park, with Lynch well aware of the importance of the game as he eyes progress up the table.

“It’s got to the point where it’s a must-win game,” he continued.

“We need to keep the pressure on the teams just above us and Stalybridge are directly there. Hopefully we can get a positive result on Saturday and use this as a foundation to progress.”