Preview | Brackley Town (H) | National League North | 2023/24

Blyth Spartans host Brackley Town on the final day in the National League North as the Spartans look for survival in the sixth tier of English Football.

The Spartans lost 5-1 to Scunthorpe United last weekend, with Nicky Deverdics scoring the only goal with a penalty for Blyth.

Several results can affect the outcome of the final table on Saturday afternoon. If Blyth win they are safe unless Farsley Celtic gain a goal difference of plus 10 and win. Should Farsley lose and Blyth also lose, but don't lose a goal difference of minus 10, the Spartans will be safe and many more results can affect the final relegation place.

Ticket Information

You can buy tickets with cash or card at the gate on the day or online here. All ticket information is as follows:

• Adults - £15 standing
• Concessions (over 65) - £9
• 11-16 Years & Students - £6
• Under-10s are admitted for free when accompanied by a paying adult.

To be seated in the Port of Blyth main stand, an extra £2 cost will be incurred for each category.

Team News

Jon Shaw stated post-Scunthorpe that he expects Alex Mitchell and JJ Hooper to return to the squad for Saturday's crunch match at Croft Park following their respective injuries.

What We're Saying

After a disappointing defeat to Scunthorpe, Jon Shaw said: "They were just too good for us on the day.

"The good news coming out of it is that it's still in our hands going into next week and with that we also potentially get another couple of bodies back for next week.

"We get Alex Mitchell back next week, which is a big one for us going into the final game, it looks like we'll get JJ Hooper back potentially.

"So yeah it's going to be a big week for us, a big week of training, what we do regarding those two sessions around making sure we are ready for Brackley, but also in the right mental frame of mind to go into that game, that is something we are going to talk about."

Jon Shaw's post-match assessment of Saturday's 5-1 defeat to Scunthorpe United

Opposition

Brackley secured their place in the playoffs in the National League North and will look to extend their unbeaten run to 12 games in a row on Saturday.

They faced Chester last weekend in a 3-1 win as Connor Hall scored twice with Danny Newton on the scoresheet as well.

What They're Saying

After a victory at home to Chester, Gavin Cowan said: "A really well-deserved win, an excellent performance all round.

"Just really like I say the only thing we probably said about ourselves is the first half we were a little bit stop-start, a great lesson for us and a learning curve to make sure that we stick to the agenda, do the things we are speaking about behind closed doors."

Gavin Cowan's post-match assessment of Saturday's 3-1 win over Chester

Last Time We Met

The two sides met in November at St James Park in a 1-1 draw as Alfie Bates put the hosts ahead after four minutes, but JJ Hopper's 82nd-minute equaliser allowed the Spartans to bring a point back to the North-East.

The last two meetings at Croft Park have both ended in a draw between the two sides, with the last victory for Blyth coming in 2018 at Croft Park in a 3-0 victory through a Dan Maguire brace and Jarrett Rivers also scoring.

Media Coverage

You can follow all of the action on Saturday afternoon via our social media platforms and BlythLive on Mixlr from 2:45 pm.