Preston Grasshoppers vs. Luctonians – Kick Off 2.30pm
A determined Dominic Moon hands off the Luctonians Full Back during last seasons home victory.
Team News
Hoppers start with the same fifteen as last week at Portway for the visit of Luctonians (if they make it through the predicted blizzards) and Karl Fitzpatrick finds a place on a very strong looking bench in the only squad change from the twenty selected for the trip to Birmingham Solihull.
1. Richard Morton,2. Phill Mills, 3. Andy Irving, 4. Gareth Gore, 5. Ali Murray, 6. Killian Wallace,7. Will Keenan, 8. Dominic Moon. Captain, 9. Craig Aikman. 10. Lewis Allen, 11. Adam Birchall, 12. Jack Ward, 13. Phil Baines, 14. Matt Hughes, 15. Sean Taylor.
Replacements: 16. Brad Tuff, 17. Danny Madden, 18. Alex Austin, 19. Josh Purnell, 20. Karl Fitzpatrick.
Preview
Hoppers will be hoping the Luctonians jinx doesn’t strike as it did back in November when a similar seven match winning sequence was halted by a draw at Mortimer Park. Similarly our visitors will be hoping for a better outcome to their only previous visits to Lightfoot Green when they have shipped fifty and forty nine points whilst accumulating just fifteen.
The victory at Birmingham Solihull’s Portway ground extended Hoppers unbeaten run and took them half way to their longest ever run of fourteen victories.
Luctonians currently sit just below half way in the league table thirty points behind Hoppers, and to date haven’t been having as successful a season than their previous two at Level four. Traditionally Saturday’s opponents are very much stronger on their home patch than on their travels as is reflected in our past meetings and backed up by this seasons statistics. After winning their first two games on the road at Stockport and Hull they have gone on to lose all the rest, a total of ten consecutive away games.
It’s back to league action for Hoppers 2’s this coming weekend when they make what has now become a regular happening and play Fylde at Ansdell on Friday night, kick off at 7.45pm. Meanwhile its top versus bottom in North 2 when Hoppers 3rd’s entertain Vale of Lune 3rd’s. Hoppers 4th’s are also at home and play Lymm 3rd’s
Photograph courtesy of Mike Craig.
