Match Preview - Seaham Red Star (H) - Ebac Northern League Division 2 - Wednesday 25th February - Kick-off 19:30pm

by Jeff King

A huge game scheduled for Wednesday night at The Riverside as two sides with massive play-off aspirations clash in the Ebac Northern League Division 2. It's sixth placed Park View AFC taking on seventh placed Seaham Red Star.

A win for the home side could see them leap up to fourth in the table depending on the margin of victory but any win will definitely see them move into fifth place and the final play-off position.

For the visitors a win would take them level on points with their hosts and rejuvenate their play-off push after they have faltered in recent weeks. So, a vital game for both sides.

Seaham were early season pacesetters in the Division after their relegation from the First Division in the previous campaign. They had targeted a quick return back to that Division and were hopeful of a good season after a very good start.

However, they come to The Riverside having slid down a little in the league losing their last 4 league games. They did win the 2 previous to that and means that they currently sit in seventh position with 54 points from 31 games.

They have won 16 drawn 6 and lost 9 scoring 54 goals and conceding 38. Their top scorer is Ryan Appleby with 13 goals whilst Lewis Rutherford has 5. Matt Weirs had 10 as well but moved on earlier this month to Chester-le-Street Town.

For Park View the 1 – 0 win over Prudhoe last Saturday was their first win in 4 games and three vital points. Especially as all the teams above them that played all won. They remain in sixth place but are now on 57 points from 30 games.

They have 17 wins 6 draws and 7 defeats in those games and have scored 47 goals with Charlie Loveday of the players in the squad leading the way with 7 netted. Ben Gallagher's winner on Saturday taking his tally to 6 for the season.

Defensively Park View have only conceded 25 so far this campaign which is the best in the Division at the moment and very much the platform that their play-off push has been built upon.

Back in August last year when Red Star were possibly at their strongest and going really well, Park View did manage to nick a point in a 0 – 0 draw with a fine defensive performance.

Although if Chris Luaba had put away a first half penalty for Seaham it would have been a vastly different game. Neither side will want to settle for the same result on Wednesday.

The aim for both is very much focused on a win and three points for a game that kicks-off at The Riverside at 7:30pm.