PICKERING Town player-boss Alex Mathie has paid the price for his team-mates' form ahead of the Northern Counties East Football League game of the day.

The former Newcastle and York City striker has decided to keep himself out of his line-up for tomorrow's trip to Arnold after Steve Baxter filled his boots in style in the 4-1 thrashing of Hallam last week.

In fact, Mathie, who might give himself a substitutes' berth for the second-versus-fourth premier division clash, was happy with the competition for places right across the park.

"Young Steve Baxter has been doing well off the bench and he got his first start against Hallam and scored two goals," he said. "He deserves to keep his place. He's done really well and if he keeps improving he will be a very good player."

Mike McNaughton is unavailable so the Pikes will be forced into one change at centre-back, while captain Alex Willgrass will be given "as long as he needs" to overcome his ongoing back injury, which will hopefully be by early next month.

But Mathie said: "Credit is due to the boys who have come in because we haven't missed him (Willgrass) as much as we might. Dean McAuley and Matty Morton have done really well and so has George Rose when Dean's been away.

"When everybody is there I'm going to have big selection problems. It will be a nice headache for me."

He added: "Arnold is a difficult place to go at the best of times but we're looking forward to it. These are all big games. It's a lot tougher league than in the past. Everybody can beat everybody and it's a case of who performs on the day. We want to get consistency and perform week in, week out."

Harrogate Railway boss Martin Haresign is also demanding consistency from his side after their hit-and-miss start.

The Rail are still up in sixth and can climb as high as third by defeating mid-table Eccleshill at home tomorrow but Haresign says finding constancy is the key. "That's our problem at the moment," he confirmed.

"We've not reached the standards we played at last year apart from a couple of games. We need consistency. We're winning two then losing one and we need to level off."

Railway will have centre-backs Paul Stevenson and Scott Bairstow back after injury and are hoping Lee Ryan will return after a stomach problem, but Andy Shuttleworth is still out after twisting an ankle in the warm-up to last week's defeat at Shirebrook.

Haresign added: "Eccleshill are a team we did the double over last year and I'm sure confidence will be there but they're going to be fighting hard."

Selby Town are one place below Railway having also endured an up-and-down campaign, but they are unbeaten in three and will look to turn two successive away draws with lowly opposition into a win at home to Glasshoughton.

One record will go in the game of the day in NCEL division one as third-placed Tadcaster Albion host second-placed Carlton Town.

Taddy have a 100 per cent home record and Carlton likewise away, but at least one team will see that run checked tomorrow.

Goole have a tough ask to bounce back from Tuesday's 6-1 UniBond League division one thrashing at bottom-of-the-table Spalding as they visit goal-happy Mossley.

Updated: 10:42 Friday, October 21, 2005