Whitley travel to Shildon tomorrow with Nathan Haslam taking charge of the side for the first time following his appointment as manager on Tuesday. While the new boss has promised to give the current squad of players the opportunity to prove themselves during the final weeks of the season, there could be a return to the side for goalkeeper Dan Lister, who rejoined the club from Whickham yesterday. Lister made eight appearances during a spell at Hillheads in 2017 before being snapped up by South Shields.
While the Bay were without a game last week, most of the teams in the lower half of the table picked up points leaving Whitley precariously placed, just third from bottom but within a point of the two sides immediately above them. In contrast, the Railwaymen are sitting comfortably in eighth place but with a chance of a top four finish. Their form this season has been inconsistent but since the turn of the year they have improved and have won seven of their last nine games and are sure to provide a tough test for the new Bay manager and his side.
This will be the first time the sides have met in 2018/19, with the return fixture at Hillheads scheduled for the final day of the season.
