ACCRINGTON Stanley go to high-flying Altrincham on Saturday with renewed confidence after recording their best win of the season last weekend.

Joint boss David Hamilton reckons his side have lost the fear factor and the 3-1 win at second-placed Boston is the culmination of three weeks hard work and commitment.

Hamilton said: "Me and Jim McCluskey have got the team believing in themselves and installed a sense of self-confidence in the players. The win was probably the best of the season but to be honest we have been building up to this win for the past couple of weeks."

While Greg Challender and keeper Rob Molloy are long-term injury victims, Hamilton is hoping Steve Haw and Brian Welch are fit by Saturday.

Great Harwood have hauled themselves out of the bottom three of Unibond Division One with a magnificent 2-1 win at Gretna but at a cost.

For influential star Mick Lynch is very doubtful for Saturday's home game against Lincoln after he was stretchered off with a serious injury.

Manager Ian McGarry said: "We seem to have come through our rocky patch to win our last two games which have both been away from home. We now have games in hand against our relegation rivals so it is up to us to make them count."

Darwen manager Steve Wilkes has admitted these are desperate times for his rock-bottom club who are running out of time in the battle to beat the drop.

Saturday's 1-0 defeat at Prescot Cables leaves them rooted to the bottom of North West Counties League Division One and they have only 12 games left.

Wilkes said: "To be honest, it is beginning to look a bit grim for us but we are not going to throw in the towel. But I think we need to win at least five of our remaining games to stand a chance of staying up."

On Saturday, Darwen are without Lyndon Howarth and John Howarth for the trip to Chadderton.

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