Non-league weekend preview: Sheffield FC given defensive boost - Hallam look to bounce back

Although Club progressed to the third round of the Sheffield Senior Cup with a 2-0 win over holders North Gawber Colliery on Tuesday, it's the bread and butter of the league that really matters.

Manager Gavin Smith knows all too well how important it will be to put last weekend's surprise 4-3 home defeat against bottom-of-the-table Market Drayton Town firmly behind them when they take on a Lincoln side who beat Smith’s side 5-1 in the reverse fixture at Ashby Avenue in late September.

Since that victory, Lincoln have lost four of the five outings with the only success coming in a 4-1 home win against Loughborough Dynamo a fortnight ago.

Smith will certainly be looking for more consistency from his team especially at home where they have won three and lost three in the league, including the last two on the bounce.

The Sheffield boss has been given a boost following the successful return of defender Ben Turner (pictured) in the Senior Cup tie after a lengthy spell on the sidelines with injury .

Stocksbridge Park Steels are without a fixture this weekend.

Hallam travel to Ollerton Town looking to bounce back from their first defeat in nine.

That 1-0 setback at home to Swallownest ended a run of five straight league wins for the Countrymen.

“It was an awful stop start game and a disappointing way for the run to end,” said Hallam boss Steve Whitehead.

“It might be the kick up the backside we needed because you can become too complacent.

"If we want to be up there come the end of April, then no disrespect intended, but you have to got to places like Ollerton Town and get three points.

“One thing's for sure, the players will be fired up and raring to go otherwise I wouldn’t be doing my job.

"It was a below-par performance last week, the players know that, we talked about it afterwards and now they have to go out on the pitch at Ollerton and go on another winning run.”

Hallam have suffered a blow with the news that Jack McCarthy faces a lengthy lay-off after being carried off with a knee injury in the defeat against Swallownest.

Whitehead added that the defender could be sidelined until the New Year.

Handsworth will look to bounce back from their shock 1-0 Senior Cup exit against County Senior League leaders Swinton Athletic earlier in the week, when they host high-flying Grimsby Borough.

The Ambers have not had the best of starts to the season with just two wins from seven games, which sees them down in 16th place in the Premier Division.

However, Russ Eagles' men are in a slightly false position having played fewer games than everyone else.