Win or bust for Rangers

NOTHING but a win will do for Saddleworth Rangers tomorrow if the club are to cling on to wafer-thin hopes of gaining promotion.

Widnes St Marie’s won 22-14 at Stanningley on Tuesday evening to all-but tie up the third promotion spot in National Conference League division one.

Keith Brennan’s side must now win all their remaining five league fixtures, starting with the visit to bottom-of-the-table Shaw Cross tomorrow (2.30pm), and hope that the Widnes side lose both of their last two matches — while also turning round an inferior points differential.

Rangers can only gain a maximum of 30 points, the same total that Marie’s are currently sitting on.

“It is looking as if promotion is out of our reach now,” admitted disappointed Saddleworth coach Keith Brennan, who will be looking for a reaction to last week’s tough but disappointing weekend for the club which saw them slip to a Standard Cup final defeat to Waterhead on Good Friday, followed by a loss at Marie’s only 24 hours later.

Further down the table, Oldham St Anne’s will have their relegation to division two confirmed by tomorrow evening if they lose away at West Bowling (2.30pm).

Paul Ashton will be missing from the Saints line-up, having picked up a hefty ban for referee abuse at a recent disciplinary hearing.

The scrum-half won’t play again this season and becomes available again only at the start of November.

Elsewhere, coach Mick Cashin has a relatively full squad to choose from and remains upbeat about the club’s prospects.

“We have got to just go out to win all our remaining games,” he said. “We know we are in a bad position but we will keep going to the end.”

In division two, Waterhead coach Mick Slicker has injury concerns hanging over Keiran Grennan (groin), Will Schofield (ankle), Scott Beswick (shoulder), Martin Sarsfield (quad), Chris Charlesworth (shoulder) and Alan Williamson (shoulder).

The Peach Road side are at home to third-placed Heworth (2.30pm), in what is the penultimate game of their season.