​Magpies eye vital away win at play-off rivals Brackley Town

Their win over Blyth Spartans on Tuesday night was their third in an unbeaten six-game run on the road.

In the first half of this season, the Magpies struggled to pick up points on their travels – a direct contrast to their record in front of their own fans at Victory Park.

There has, though, been something of a roles reversal in recent times with Andy Preece’s men now having won only once at home since the beginning of December following Saturday’s 2-1 defeat to Southport.

It is perhaps a good job that the Magpies’ next two games are away from home, as they look to maintain their position in the National league North play-offs.

This weekend they head to fourth-placed Brackley Town, with a trip to Farsley Celtic on the horizon a week later.

"I wasn’t worried about the way we were performing away from home, we just weren’t getting the results,” said Preece.

"Now we are getting the results – we’ve slipped up a couple of times at home – but our away form is now won three, drawn three.

"We are not allowing for slip-ups because we don’t want to make any slip-ups because we are looking up and trying to chase the teams above us.

"We have put ourselves in a good position – if somebody a few games ago had said that we would be level on points with Chester who are sixth and only four points behind Scarborough and five behind Brackley then we would have said that would be great.

"That’s important that we have managed to drag those teams into it.

"But we go to Brackley on Saturday which is probably one of the toughest places you can go to in this division.

"Our away from is really good but it needs to remain that way over the next two games.”

Stalwart goalkeeper Matty Urwin missed the game on Tuesday through injury but was replaced by Altrincham’s Matt Gould who signed an emergency loan deal with the Magpies.

He is ready to take the gloves again this weekend should Urwin remain unavailable.

Elsewhere, title-chasing AFC Fylde travel to bottom side AFC Telford United this weekend, while Southport are without a game.