A 39 year-old striker could lead the Peterborough Sports attack against title contenders South Shields
Peterborough Sports could thrust a 39 year-old centre forward into action against National League North title contenders South Shields at PIMS Park on Saturday (3pm kick off).
Michael Gash made a welcome return to action after a lengthy lay-off with an ankle injury in Tuesday night’s painful 4-1 defeat at Bedford Town, and he impressed manager Phil Brown enough to be considered for a start tomorrow.
Gash was relieved of his joint-manager duties to accommodate the appointment of Brown in September, but he was retained as a player.
Goalkeeper Peter Crook and former Football League winger Mustapha Carayol could also return to the starting line-up tomorrow as Brown tries to provide experienced help for a young side.
"It’s a testament to Michael that he’s fought back to fitness and he wants to help at the age of 39,” Brown told Peterborough Community Radio. “It’s an unusual situation to still play for a team that let you go as a manager, but he made an impact at Bedford and it’s brilliant news that he appears to have come through that game with no ill effects. He did what ‘Gashy’ does and gave us some organisation and control.
"He won’t be able to play 90 minutes tomorrow, but if he starts and gives us 60 minutes that could set him up for the rest of the season.
"We have 12 games to go now. We are currently outside the relegation zone and we must make sure we stay there. The important moments will now count and the one thing that has let us down recently is our naivety. I think people have seen a team that can play good football and a team that still has plenty of fight, but we are a young team and we are now under the cosh. Some experience will help.
"It will be tough tomorrow. That will be the case any time you play a team in the top two because they are there on merit at this stage of the season. They are a well tuned team who have a way of playing that is very easy on the eye, but we more than matched them at their place before losing by a single goal.”
Sports will be without full-back Aaron Powell who had emergency dental treatment after getting a kick in the mouth at Bedford, a challenge that only earned a yellow card much to the annoyance of the Sports camp.
South Shields have lost top spot to AFC Fylde in recent weeks, but are eight points clear of third.
Sports are a point and a place above the relegation zone, but two of the teams in the bottom four, Alfreton and Hereford, have four and six games in hand respectively.