Margy may stick with makeshift defence for Mossley

Manager Karl Margison will keep the faith with his makeshift defence if centre-back Rob Nugent and goalkeeper Sam Ashton do not recover from injury in time for Tuesday night’s trip to Mossley.

Former Southport stalwart Danny Jarrett was snapped up from Northwich Victoria last week to partner 21-year-old Adam Turner at the back on Saturday, who made his debut after winning player of the season in the Reds’ reserve team last season. Meanwhile, goalkeeping coach Phil Priestly filled in between the sticks.

Despite the disappointment of conceding four goals, the trio responded reasonably well to what was a tough ask. Jarrett provided some of the marshalling that has been missing in the absence of club captain David Chadwick and Turner marked his bow by getting United’s first goal.

Margy said: "Given all the injury problems we had, I thought we played some excellent football but I’m afraid you don’t always get out of a game what you put into it.

"The defence did well considering it was thrown together at training on Thursday night and only had 45 minutes to work together before coming up against a team as dangerous as Avenue.

"We will have to see how Nuge is before picking the team to face Mossley; he has a cartilage problem and his ankle strapped. If he doesn’t make it though, Saturday’s game has proved to me that we have more than capable replacements with the two lads who came in."