Conference North: February

The business end of the season is fast approaching in our featured division, here's how things went in February.


Time tight for Tigers

Struggling Gloucester City have been warned they must agree a ground share deal by the end of the month or face relegation from the Conference North.

The Tigers were forced to move into Cirencester's Corinium Stadium after their Meadow Park ground was damaged by flooding in 2007.

However, their current home does not meet the division's criteria for number of seats or capacity and the club don't have the money to bring it up to standard.

Talks are currently on-going with League Two side Cheltenham about playing their home matches at their county rivals' Whaddon Road stadium.


Cod Army continue promotion charge

In the race for the title leaders Fleetwood stretched their advantage at the top of to five points over nearest rivals Southport.

Micky Mellon's side recorded wins over Corby, Gloucester, and Eastwood during February.

However, shock defeats to Gainsborough and Northwich in their last two matches have kept the Lancashire side from pulling away.

In the race for the play-offs it was another good month for Alfreton who picked up 11 points from their five games. However, a run of just one point from a possible 12 has dented Eastwood's prospects.

A fine run of form since the turn of the year has also seen AFC Telford, losers in the play-offs in the last two seasons, back in the hunt for the top five.


Top of the table:

................................P...GD...PTS
1. Fleetwood Town.....32....33....66
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2. Southport..............29....32....61
3. Hinckley United......31....11....52
4. Alfreton Town........30.....23....51
5. Droylsden.............28.....22....46
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6. Eastwood Town......29....3......45
7. AFC Telford...........31....-1......45


Redditch blues

It's panic stations for Redditch United after the Worcestershire side's failure to win during February saw them dragged back into the relegation fight.

Two points from their five matches, coupled with good results for fellow strugglers Gainsborough and Hyde, mean things have tightened up at the bottom.

It was a good month though for Vauxhall Motors who, despite losing to Harrogate, moved off the foot of the table and above the North Yorkshire outfit.

Bottom of the table:

.............................P...GD...PTS
17. Gloucester.........29...-12...30
18. Hyde United......27....-17...30
19. Redditch United..31...-22....29
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20. Gainsborough.....29..-17....26
21. Vauxhall Motors..32..-32....24
22. Harrogate Town..28...-23...22


More news from the Conference North at the end of the month in our review of all the action in March.

And we'll be taking another look at the state of play in the division during our monthly report on all the divisions.