Thackley return to action on Saturday as they make the trip north to face Pickering Town in the NCEL Premier Division. Optimism will be high amongst the Dennyboys faithful ahead of the fixture after the team’s 3-2 victory over league leaders Penistone Church at Dennyfield on Tuesday night, a result that represented the perfect recovery following last week’s 2-0 defeat at Parkgate.

The Opposition: Standing in the way of another good result for Thackley are a Pickering side that find themselves on a mixed run of form that goes back to the beginning of the season, though they are on a notably superior run compared to the entirety of last season, a run that saw them win only eight league matches in the whole campaign and not pick up another victory after February 13th when they defeated Barton Town in a 5-4 thriller, with the poor end to the season that followed meaning they finished second bottom, narrowly avoiding relegation at the expense of Maltby Main. ‘Pikes’, as they are known by their supporters, have claimed some big wins already this season, defeating the likes of Hallam and Parkgate, but at the same time have struggled against some of the sides lower down the table, with a defeat to Winterton Rangers and a draw against fellow North Yorkshire side Knaresborough Town being examples of this. The side’s record currently stands at four wins, two draws and four losses in the league, a series of results that to some would signify the very definition of a mid-table side at this point in the season. However, it shows that the Pikes have an ability to win games and frustrate their opponents, as their results against some of the league’s top teams show, so Danny Forrest’s side will no doubt have to be at their very best to pick up a result in this latest test.

Previous Meetings: Last season’s meetings with Pickering saw positive outcomes for Thackley on both occasions, with the first meeting being an early season encounter at Dennyfield in which a crowd of 148 saw the Dennyboys pick up a 2-0 victory thanks to late goals from Tom Greaves and George Green. The sides would meet again in December at Mill Lane in front of a crowd of 93, with Green getting himself on the scoresheet again early in the game before Matthew Dempsey restored Thackley’s lead in the second half after an equaliser from Kieran Stares levelled the game for the hosts.

Ground Description and Directions: Finding itself just a short distance from the famous Flamingo Land Resort (who are also the main sponsors of the club), Pickering’s Mill Lane ground has a total capacity of 2000, with room for 500 spectators in covered areas, whilst also having 200 seats, a good number for any ground at this level of the pyramid. The ground’s rural location means it isn’t the easiest to reach via public transport, with the recommended route being the Transdev York 840 bus that departs the city and terminates in Pickering after a journey time of around 75 minutes. Those driving are recommended to enter the town via the A169 before arriving at Mill Lane not long after. (Directions Credit: NCEL Website).

Admission Prices: Adults: £8 - Concessions: £6 - U16’s: Free. (Admission Prices Credit: Pickering Town’s Official Website).

Any away support would be very much appreciated.