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NPL preview | Six-pointers across the board as the run-in continues

We’re into the final two months of the campaign in the Northern Premier League, and every game matters that little bit more as the Premier Division run-in continues.

There are numerous cases of sides near the top and at the bottom playing each other, and our featured game comes at the Hebburn Sports Ground, where league leaders Hebburn Town take on fifth-placed Gainsborough Trinity.

Daniel Moore’s side ended a five-game winless run against Stocksbridge Park Steels in midweek to return to the top of the division. They hold a two-point lead now over second, and an eight-point lead over their opponents this weekend.

Gainsborough have lost just once in 2026, and three wins in their last five have them in a play-off spot, with eyes on potentially crashing the title race come the end of the season.

A win against the table-toppers would see them close that gap to five, and with two games in hand, Russ Wilcox’s side could end up above Hebburn with victory in thos games, too.

The big games at the top don’t stop at Hebburn, as now-second-placed Hednesford Town have a difficult trip to Bamber Bridge to navigate.

The Brig have stumbled slightly in their pursuit of a play-off place, with three draws and a defeat coming in their last four. A big win over Hednesford would go a long way towards reigniting those top-five aspirations though.

Kelvin Davis’ side will be well-rested after having last weekend off, and this Saturday they’ll go in search of consecutive wins for just the second time in 2026.

FC United of Manchester are also looking to put some more distance between themselves and the sides just below them when they travel to sixth-placed Stockton Town.

The Anchors haven’t tasted defeat in six, while Mark Beesley’s side are five unbeaten and just three points off top spot, with a game in hand on Hebburn too.

Stockton can cut the gap between themselves and FC United to just four points with a big three points this weekend.

Down at the bottom, two sides in the drop zone face off as Morpeth Town, the team with the worst away record in the division, travel to Stocksbridge, the team with the worst home form in the division.

That being said, Stocksbridge have picked up four points from their last two games at Bracken Moor against sides down near the bottom, and another win here could see them climb out of the relegation places.

Morpeth ended a three-game losing run last time out with a draw, to move just a point behind their hosts. Just a second away win this season could see them move level on points with teams currently occupying a position of safety.

The two sides directly above the relegation zone, Hyde United and Prescot Cables, are also going head-to-head on Saturday at the Project Solar Stadium.

Cables are desperate for a positive result, coming into this one on the back of four consecutive defeats.

Meanwhile, Hyde will be hoping to bounce back from a loss against Warrington Town last weekend and avoid consecutive defeats for the first time since November.

Both sides are two points above the drop, and with Stocksbridge and Morpeth both playing each other, they know how important a win will be to remain just above that dreaded relegation line.

Additionally, they’ll be looking nervously over their shoulders at Workington, who are the form side in this relegation scrap, winning three of their last four to claw themselves three points behind Hyde and Prescot.

Billy Barr’s men will be on the hunt for a third straight league win when they travel to Nethermoor for a battle with Guiseley.

Ian Richards’ side aren’t fearing relegation too much right now, but a loss here would see the Reds move just seven points behind them, which could make for a nervy few games between now and the end of the season.

Whitby Town picked up a huge win in midweek against Cleethorpes Town to move seven points clear of the drop zone.

They have an opportunity to increase that even further against another side who are teetering just above 18th place, as they travel to Rushall Olympic.

The Pics are winless in three, and will no-doubt be looking to bounce back from last week’s defeat at Workington to build on the current five-point buffer between themselves and danger.

Cleethorpes have now just won one of seven in 2026 after that midweek defeat, and have a tough task at hand in their attempts to make it two wins in eight away at Warrington Rylands.

A place in the play-offs still isn’t quite in Rylands’ hands just yet, but if they continue to pick up positive results, time will start to run out for Stockton and Gainsborough to climb above them.

A win here would extend their unbeaten run to seven, and also provide a fourth win in their last six games.

Lancaster City are looking for back-to-back wins for the first time since late November to keep their hopes of finishing in the top five alive when they welcome Warrington Town to the Giant Axe.

Paul Carden’s Yellows are still in with a slim shot of finishing in the play-offs, but with an inferior goal difference and having played more games than anyone else, they’ll have to be near-perfect and rely on other results going their way to do so.

A win at Lancaster would help increase those chances and see them move a point behind Saturday’s hosts.

Finally, Leek Town will be looking to end a four-game winless run to see themselves one step closer to safety. This weekend they travel to Ashton United, who are just three points ahead of Josh Brehaut’s side going into the match-up at Hurst Cross.

All games will kick off at 3pm, unless stated otherwise.

Fixtures - Saturday 7 March