The international break may have put a pause on the higher divisions of the footballing pyramid, but action continues in the NPL East as the Miners head south to face Sherwood Colliery. A Max Bauer strike helped edge a deserved 1-0 victory over the Wood back in November, yet with Sherwood now fighting for survival it could set up an interesting fixture at Debdale Park.

Saturday's opponents currently sit 21st in the NPL East table, while Town are in 10th, seven points adrift of safety. Despite that, the Wood have a game in hand over most of the teams above them which could prove crucial. That being said, a run of seven defeats from eight matches will have to be rectified in order to maintain the club's first stint of Step 4 football.

A damning 2-0 defeat to fellow strugglers Bridlington Town last Saturday was a heavy blow to Colliery's survival hopes: a match that certainly was a relegation six-pointer. Manager Wayne Savage commented after the match: "We are where we are this season and while ever it's mathematically possible to stay up, we must keep believing."

"I cannot be too hard on the players. They are the ones out there and they are giving everything."

Savage has been at the Colliery helm for nine years, guiding the Nottinghamshire-based team to three promotions and has played a huge part in developing the club as a whole - one such development being the recent installation of a 4G pitch at Debdale Park along with an improvement to the ground's facilities. Although the season may appear bleak for the Wood, their rapid growth in stature is much to be applauded.

Club top scorer Alexander Duhameau has proved to be a pivotal player for the Wood in his first season at the club, notching up 11 goals for the campaign at just 19 years of age and will be one to look out for. In addition, Sherwood midfielder and captain Ewan Robson provides a tireless work ethic in the heart of the Colliery team, racking up over 300 appearances for the club over a spell of seven years and contributing massively to the team's impressive rise up the divisions.

Focusing back on Garforth, a 0-0 draw to Emley last weekend certainly showed Town's ability to match one of the league's best even with an injury-stricken side. Injuries to the likes of Alex Zachariou, Matt Antcliff, Harry Colville, Nash Connolly and Matt Savage earlier this year has affected Paul Marshall's team selection over the last few difficult games. However, Matt Savage managed to make the bench in the Emley tie in a promising step to recovery.

Sadly, it has been announced that Sam Barker has broken his leg this week in a non-football related incident and therefore will miss the remainder of the season. We wish him a speedy recovery along with the other members of the squad currently out.

The Miners will also be without Charlie Marshall and Sam Denton but thankfully only for the Sherwood fixture. Nevertheless, a contrast of opponents to the high-flyers Town have had to face as of late could offer an opportunity to begin a strong end to the season, although the Wood will certainly be fighting for their lives.

Kick Off is at 3pm