There could be a goals rush when Merthyr Town take on St Neots in a Southern League clash at Rowley Park.
The Martyrs are among the highest Premier Division scorers with 82 goals – only leaders Chippenham Town have scored more (87) – while St Neots have conceded 94 in 42 matches.
Only bottom club Cinderford Town have a worse goals against record, while St Neots are the highest scorers in the bottom half of the table with a total of 60.
The Martyrs make a long cross-country journey for second successive week, following their trip to Kings Langley (2-2) with a match against St Neots in Cambridgeshire.
The home team need a win to remain clear of the relegation zone.
Merthyr’s play-off rivals Banbury United, one point behind Merthyr, are away at Cinderford, whose relegation is now all but mathematically certain. Banbury are expected to pick up three points as they did at Hayes & Yeading last Saturday.
Third-placed Hitchin Town are at home to leaders Chippenham in the game of the day, while Slough Town, in fourth, are away at Kettering and defeat for either them or Hitchin could see a win at St Neots move the Martyrs to within three points of the team above.
Currently St Neots are 19th, one place above where they finished last season when, as now, they were four points clear of the drop. This is as high as they have been all season, most of it having been spent in the bottom four, which is where they were at the time of the reverse fixture played a week before Christmas.
That game saw a comfortable win for the Martyrs which would have been by a greater margin than 3-0 but for a man of the match display by St Neots goalkeeper Alex Archer.
However, it is St Neots’ away form which appears to be the main reason for their lowly placing as their record of eight wins at home is not bettered by any team in the bottom half of the league table.
Their recent home form has been good, with last Saturday’s 1-1 draw with Stratford following a run of four wins and another draw,
The leading scorer for St Neots is 22-year-old former Peterborough youth and reserve team player Jevani Brown, signed from Stamford. He has netted 13 goals in the last 10 games including two hat-tricks and, although not finding the net in the last two games, has scored five of St Neots’ last six goals.
His form since joining the Saints has resulted in his playing on trial with Birmingham City and other interested Football League clubs are said to include Wigan Athletic.
Team news for the Martyrs is that Keyon Reffell will be available following the completion of his three-match suspension and Ryan Prosser should be fit, but Curtis McDonald, Kayne McLaggon and Jack Compton are unlikely to play due to their various injuries.