Wolverhampton Casuals and Wolverhampton Sporting going toe-to-toe
Goals are as good as guaranteed when the West Midlands Premier Division’s most potent attacks go toe-to-toe in tomorrow’s Wolverhampton derby.
Title-chasing Wolverhampton Sporting Community will be aiming to keep the pressure on leaders Tividale when they welcome Wolves Casuals to Great Wyrley.
It is the ninth-placed visitors, however, who have plundered more goals this season.
Their haul of 78, including a mammoth 32 from league top scorer Liam Hughes, puts them one goal ahead of the hosts going into the game.
And Sporting boss Andy Paddock said: “I don’t think this one is going to end 0-0!”
He continued: “It’s a great game for everyone involved. There’s obviously a bit of rivalry between the clubs.
“They pipped us to second spot last season and we know they will be eager to beat us. I’m in absolutely no doubt we are in for one of our toughest games of the season.
“People might be surprised to see Casuals a little way down the table but their attacking quality means they are the kind of team who could easily reel off 10 straight wins.
“I fully expect them to be up there at the end of the season.”
Sporting warmed up for tomorrow with a thumping 10-1 Premier League Cup win over Bilston Town on Tuesday night. Tom Hill and Dmitri Dunkley both hit hat-tricks and while Francis-Mills struck twice.
“After the recent postponements, I was delighted to get a game in,” said Paddock.
“The performance was a pleasant bonus and though it may sound funny, we could have won by more.
“The league is the most important thing for us this season. We are desperate to get promoted.
“Saturday will go a long way to determining my mood over Christmas and I will be reminding the lads of that before the game.”
Casuals will be without Martin Lewis, Shane Thomas and Calum Cooper after all three were sent-off in last Saturday’s 4-2 home defeat to Wellington.
Such slip-ups have been the story of the season so far but boss Mark Holdcroft believes that, against Sporting, it is his team who hold the psychological edge.
“The last couple of years, aside from one cup game, we have always come out on top,” he said. “I think it is a problem for them.
“On form, you would have to say they are favourites. But things like that tend to go out of the window in a game like this.
“No question it is a derby. Quite a few of the Sporting lads used to play for me and the players all know each other.
“It’s all about who turns up on the day. If we play to our potential, we will win.”
