Avenue will be looking to make inroads into Curzon Ashton's eight-point lead at the first attempt on Saturday after losing at home to the UniBond League Division One North table-toppers last weekend.

The Bradford club still have two games in hand on Curzon but they missed a great opportunity to wrestle the initiative away last time out.

Had they beaten Ashton at Horsfall Stadium, they would not have toppled the leaders but the gap would have been just two points and the two games in hand would have remained.

"That is why it was billed as a six-pointer' and we know losing it was a setback," said Avenue boss Benny Phillips.

"But it has gone now and we have to focus on Garforth Town away as this will be another very tricky game for us. Garforth came to us just before Christmas and were a very well organised side.

"They will provide us with a difficult game at a time when the spotlight and the pressure is back on us. That's always the way for promotion contenders when you lose a game and to have lost to the leaders doubles the intensity."

Phillips has again been active in the transfer market this week and there will be another debutant on Saturday, midfielder Chris Williams having arrived from Blue Square Premier strugglers Northwich Victoria.

Barring an injury in training or a sudden bout of illness, Williams will be included in the 14-man squad, while defenders Darren Hockenhull and Matt Daly are back in contention after serving their one-game bans last Saturday.

Phillips is also hoping centre back Lincoln Adams will have recovered sufficiently from his niggling knee problems to be recalled. However, skipper and midfield general Steve Connors is unlikely to return.

Phillips said: "Steve broke down in training this week so it is too soon for him. He has a hamstring injury that he picked up against Stockport County. It is one of those that looks okay and then flares up again.

"These types of injury are so unpredictable - it could be a week or it could linger for a lot longer. Lincoln is another and we will just have to wait and see. It all depends how the pair of them feel after today's training session.

"The good news is that Paul Stoneman and Ross Clegg played so well last week. It was Paul's home debut and he was commanding at centre back, so with Matt also back in the mix we are strong in the heart of defence.

"Ross strengthened our midfield; he is vice-captain and such a natural replacement for Steve. If Tom Baker wasn't playing so well this season then Ross and Steve would have taken some shifting as the first-choice pair in centre midfield."

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