PICKERING Town are aiming to buy into the boom time being enjoyed by North Yorkshire's part-time footballers.

The region's non-League clubs are riding the crest of a wave at present, with all but one of our six local teams lying seventh or above in their respective divisions.

The only slight exception to this rule are Pickering, who occupy tenth place in the Northern Counties East League premier division, but they are not far off the pace and boss Alex Mathie was looking for his side to quickly join the high-riders.

"Most of the teams (in the region) are doing well and we want to get higher as well," he told the Evening Press. "We're going the right way, and hopefully it's onwards and upwards.

"We've got a game or two in hand on most of the teams above us and we've been doing all right, but we've got to start winning. We've not been getting beat but we've had a couple of draws which we could have turned into victories."

Mathie has "one or two" players carrying niggling injuries but is anticipating fielding a similar line-up for tomorrow's league game against Hallam to the side that beat high-flying divisional rivals Sheffield 2-1 in the FA Vase last week.

Seventh-placed Selby Town have the chance to put pressure on the leaders as they entertain second-bottom Maltby Main tomorrow before heading to Armthorpe Welfare on Tuesday.

However, the top two, Goole and resurgent Harrogate Railway, will be big favourites to maintain the gap at the top.

The Rail entertain basement boys Borrowash, who have only a point to their name after ten games, while Goole visit Glasshoughton - a team they face three times in ten days.

Paul Marshall's men triumphed 2-1 in last week's rearranged league game between the sides and will be looking for more of the same tomorrow before the teams meet again on Tuesday in the West Riding County Cup.

"We will know all about each other by the end of next week," said Marshall. "I thought they were good going forward - we've got to be careful with their left-winger Martin Woolford and the two forwards - but I think we can cause their defence trouble again."

Glasshoughton are down in 17th place but have games in hand and Marshall warned: "They're a good team. They played as well as us last week but we got two first half goals and managed to hold on. I'm expecting another good game."

Marshall will have Harrogate Town loanee Lenny Curtis, Phil Walker and Steve Rollinson available again but is considering sticking to the same side as last week.

Updated: 10:14 Friday, October 29, 2004