New Years Day preview

North Staffs Football kicks off the New Year with a full fixture list.

Stoke City look to bounce back from their 2-0 defeat to Fulham with another match at the Britannia against Everton.

Britannia Stadium

Tony Pulis has called for Jermaine Pennant to keep focused after signing a two-and-a-half-year deal from Spanish side Real Zaragoza.

David Moyes’s side are the visitors and boast just two wins away from Goodison Park, but the Toffees could prove hard to break down, having drawn six on their travels.

In League Two, Port Vale will have to put aside worries over Micky Adams departure as they travel to Yorkshire side Rotherham.

Rotherham would leapfrog Vale with a win, as Adams’s men look to bounce back from a second successive defeat to Gillingham on Boxing Day.

Burton Albion welcome play-off contenders Shrewsbury Town to the Pirelli Stadium. The Brewers have slipped down to 14^th and are in need of a win to boost their own play-off chances.

The Shrews are poor travellers for their league position and have notched just three wins.

In the Blue Square North, Stafford Rangers face a tough test at AFC Telford as Tim Flowers searches for his first league win at the helm.

Rangers sit 20^th and are desperate for a win to lift themselves out of the relegation spots, but having netted only twice on their travels so far this campaign the odds are certainly stacked against them.

In the Evo Stik Division One South, Kidsgrove Athletic and Leek Town battle out a North Staffordshire derby at the Seddon Stadium.

Grove will be hoping to push home advantage as they look to challenge for a top two finish this season, whilst Leek’s prerogative is merely survival. The Blues haven’t kicked a ball in anger since November 23.

Elsewhere, Newcastle Town travel to Market Drayton Town.

NSF predictions

Stoke City 1 Everton 1

Burton Albion 1 Shrewsbury 2

Rotherham 2 Port Vale 2

AFC Telford 3 Stafford Rangers 0

Kidsgrove Athletic 2 Leek Town 1

Market Drayton 1 Newcastle Town 3

Let North Staffs Football know your score predictions!

Micky Adams up for monthly award

Port Vale boss Micky Adams has been nominated for November’s Manager of the Month Award.

In an unbeaten month for the Valiants they recorded four wins and three draws, including a 5-0 thumping over Stockport County.

Micky Adams

Other managers up for the award are: Graham Turner (Shrewsbury Town), Ronnie Moore (Rotherham United) and Paul Buckle (Torquay United).

The winners will be announced on Thurday, December 9.

The panal of judges includes former Charlton manager Alan Curbishley and Sky Sports football league expert Peter Beagrie.

Do you think Micky can win his second-award after picking up the trophy for September this year? Let North Staffs Football know.

Leek Town boss Neil Cox on the brink of new signing

Leek Town boss Neil Cox is poised to make to his first signing since landing the Blues job last month.

The former Watford skipper (pictured) is confident of snapping up former Shrewsbury Town midfielder Jamie Haynes who is due to join the club for training this week.

Haynes, who has also played in the League of Wales with Caersws FC, spent last season and the early part of this one at Market Drayton Town.

Neil Cox

Meanwhile midfielder James Brough, who signed from Ball Haye Green towards the end of last month, made his full league debut in the game at Stamford on Saturday.

Brough is a former member of Blues’ highly successful under-18’s squad of a couple of years ago and was one of the last signings made by former manager Wayne Johnson.

Since re-joining the club Brough has made an appearance as a substitute in the League Challenge Cup game at Kidsgrove last month and made his Evo-Stik debut as a second-half substitute in the home game against Grantham.

Cox also welcomed defenders Andy Taylor and Mark Ruddock back for the trip to Stamford on Saturday after both served one-match bans.

Goalkeeper Stuart Heeps was loaned to local Vodkat League side Norton United to help them with a selection problem last midweek.