Following last weekend's wash-out at home, Bradford Park Avenue will be hoping the temperature up north does not drop too much as they head to Newcastle Blue Star on Saturday.

Wayne Porter, one of two assistant managers at Avenue, said: "I hope the game is on but if it is I want the pitch to be right.

"Newcastle are a side that can play football and it will be a good game against our lads if the conditions are conducive."

Lee Coathup and Porter have been in charge of the squad this week with boss Benny Phillips away in Spain as a guest of chief executive Bob Blackburn.

Porter said: "I watched Skelmersdale against Newcastle last week and, to be honest, it was a lottery because of the state of the pitch. There was standing water and it should never have been played, for my money.

"I didn't learn anything about Newcastle by watching that game but I have seen them before and from day one I said that they would be one of our main rivals for promotion this season.

"In fact, if I was giving a half-term analysis at this Christmas period I would say Curzon Ashton have done far better than expected, Bamber Bridge and Newcastle will be the main threat regarding the title, FC United will come again after a bit of a setback and don't write Skelmersdale off.

"We are definitely in with a chance of going straight up and must be a good bet for making the play-offs if we don't finish top. We will aim for automatic promotion but you have to have your feet on the ground; nothing is won in December."

Avenue have strung a superb run together and it is no surprise that it has come at a time when the injury worries of early season have eased.

The coaching staff are pleased with recent progress and Porter said: "The squad unit is strong at the moment and the team for the Newcastle game will depend on any reactions from the comebacks of Griff Jones and Paul Gedman.

"It is probably a little too soon for Mark Jones but the other two are very close to a first-team recall. Benny will wait until the morning to make sure and he won't rush anyone back.

"The rest of the lads are okay, apart from a few little niggles. Benny has been able to name a settled side over the past month or so - apart from Gedman's injury - and the results have come.

"One or two players have become regulars, purely because they reached full fitness before others, but are still looking over their shoulders. The standards cannot drop because we have competition for places now.

"The players are physically strong and mentally strong, with many of them having played at a higher level. It is not about individuals, it is about the squad as a whole and at the moment we have a happy and confident dressing room."