Pitch battle on for Brig after awful weather

Five of Brig’s next six matches are at home, but as they prepare to welcome promotion-chasing Northwich Victoria to the Sir Tom Finney Stadium tonight, Crowe says the rain-battered pitch will not allow his men to play their usual free-flowing passing game.

But he urged his men not to resort to the long ball game and to retain their signature style.

He said: “It will be a really tough game against Nothwich - they are flying.

“And the pitch isn’t doing us any favours.

“It doesn’t work to our strengths.

“We like to keep the ball on the ground and pass but the pitch is heavy and it will be hard to do that.

“But we won’t change how we like to play. A drain collapsed at one end of the pitch, that has been fixed now but it has caused major problems.

“With the weather we have had the pitch is sodden and we need some good weather to dry it out.

“It has gone from being one of the best playing surfaces in the division to one of the worst because of the winter we have had. We are just going to have to get on with it and make the best out of it.

“The club are doing all they can to sort it.”

Brig lost 2-1 to Farsley Celtic last Saturday and the NPL First Division North 14th-placed side host pointless rock bottom side New Mills on Saturday.

Crowe said: “New Mills are a potential banana skin. They haven’t won a game so far but they are bound to win one eventually, and we will not underestimate them.”

Crowe praised Brig’s ex-PNE and Blackpool player Brett Ormerod after he announced his retirement but says he is not looking to replace the striker.

“Brett has been unavailable recently due to a calf injury. It was great to have him at the club. He will be sadly missed.”