By Jay Rowland

Sandbach United host Alsager Town in an early-season derby on what's predicted to be a scorching Cheshire afternoon.

After starting the season with an impressive 6-1 victory over Rocester, Sandbach United sat top of the table at the end of the first round of fixtures.

However, a difficult game against a sprightly Stockport Georgians, recently promoted to the NWCFL, led to an equaliser from the Manchester side with the final kick of the game.

The manner of the draw felt like a loss to many associated with the Ramblers, despite the game appearing quite evenly balanced over the 90 minutes of play.

In the third game of the season, a disappointing performance away at Brocton saw the Staffordshire side deservedly take all three points from their midweek encounter.

Sandbach manager Declan Swan stated at the start of the season that he was aiming high with his expectations for his side this season.

With the club sat 7th in the league after an indifferent start to the season, the Alsager game seems like the perfect opportunity to make a statement with a victory over their local rivals.

The Ramblers will unfortunately be short of a fully fit squad for the game, as dangerous ex-Alsager forward George West, who scored a brace against his old side last season, will be unavailable for the game and leaves a hole in the Sandbach attacking line that are second-top scorers in the division so far.

Josh Klein-Davies is also unavailable for selection as he works his way back to full fitness following a serious injury last season, whilst impressive midfielder Harry Cain is also unlikely to feature after missing the first three games through illness.

Meanwhile, Alsager Town currently sit on 4 points after matching Sandbach's set of results in the first three games. A comprehensive 4-0 defeat on opening day sparked the club into bolstering the squad with new signings and earned a home draw against New Mills in their next game.

After crashing out of the Edward Case Cup on penalties to fellow NWCFL South side Ellesmere Rangers, Alsager brushed off that losing feeling with a 2-1 victory at Abbey Hey, with new signing Kyle Campbell scoring both goals after joining the Bullets from higher league football.

The forecast suggests it will be a lovely afternoon in Sandbach as the two sides face off in the sun, with both clubs hoping to put together a solid run of results in their respective quests for success in the 2022/23 season.

It looks sure to be a fantastic game of football at Hind Heath Road and is a must-watch for football fans looking for their weekend fix!

Tomorrow's game kicks off at 3 pm.