Harrogate Town will be two men light for their trip to Warwickshire in Nationwide North leading caretaker boss Neil Aspin to hint chairman Bill Fotherby could get a run out.

The tongue-in-cheek jibe came after it was confirmed that Paul Shepherd has finally left to join former manager John Reed at Stalybridge Celtic, coupled with the recurrence of Colin Hunter's hamstring injury.

Said Aspin: "The way the squad is at the moment, I'm thinking that Mr Fotherby might end up sat on the bench. Not so much for his football knowledge but maybe he could go on and play."

The former Darlington and Hartlepool defender has found himself staring at blank faces in his requests to take players on loan because of his reluctance to break up his starting 11.

He said: "It's very frustrating because you want to bring in players from League clubs but they are the ones they are not going to let go unless they go straight into the team because they say they might as well stay where they are if they are not going to get a start.

"But I'm loathe to do that because I want to show my confidence in the players I have already got and anybody I would bring in would have to start on the bench."

The good news is that both Marc Smith and former York City professional Leigh Wood have become the last two to sign contracts which should protect the squad from further approaches.

Tomorrow's game at Nuneaton Borough's impressive Manor Park set-up will be Town's first visit to Shakespeare's country in a game that could have a dramatic impact on the play-off zone with Borough just two points and one place behind Town going into the game.

Updated: 11:17 Friday, February 04, 2005