No free hits warns Connor as Blyth Spartans prepare for Macclesfield test

Michael Connor has refused to accept Blyth Spartans will face a free hit when they travel to runaway league leaders Macclesfield on Saturday afternoon.

Spartans will be outsiders to claim a win that would boost their bid to avoid a second successive relegation and disrupt the Silkmen’s romp to the Northern Premier League Premier Division title. Robbie Savage’s side are unbeaten in their 16 league games so far this season and secured a place in the third round of the FA Trophy last weekend after coming through a penalty shoot-out in their second round tie at National League North club Curzon Ashton.

That came on the same day Spartans, who exited the FA Trophy with a defeat against Stockton Town last month, crashed to a 4-0 league defeat against Matlock Town that left them eight points adrift of safety ahead of their visit to Macclesfield. Despite the odds going against his side, former Blyth Town manager Connor has stressed he has challenged his players to show they can handle the pressure this weekend.

He told The Gazette: “There are no free hits now because we have 25 games left to play and we need to try and win every game. I’ve told the lads we will be positive, we won’t just absorb pressure, we will try and go at them. I’m not going down there to park the bus because teams that do that get beat heavily down there. The only way we will learn about these players is by playing these good teams at the top of the table and seeing if these lads can handle that pressure. There are no free hits at all for the situation we are in now, it’s as simple as that to be honest with you.”

Connor and assistant manager Tom Wade completed the permanent signing of Bishop Auckland forward Cyril Giraud and the loan addition of Spennymoor Town defender Dan Myers in time for both players to be in contention. On-loan Gateshead midfielder Connor Pani and full-back duo Joel Holvey and Joe Oliver are back in contention for the game. Midfielder Shay Richardson is in line to make his debut after joining the club from Heaton Stannington earlier this week and he could come in for Nicky Deverdics, who is set for a month on the sidelines with the injury he picked up in the defeat against Matlock.