Spalding United face an away trip to Biggleswade Town in the Southern League Premier Division Central

Manager Jimmy Dean insists Spalding United will not give up on their play-off push despite admitting it is becoming 'incredibly difficult' to achieve a coveted top five finish.

The Tulips remain seven points adrift of the play-off places after last Saturday's home defeat to Harborough Town.

They head to Biggleswade Town this weekend looking for a return to winning ways to keep their promotion dream alive in the Southern League Premier Division Central.

Dean said: "We won't give up and can't give up because we've come from the bottom of the league to be where we are.

"How can we do that with eight games left because stranger things have happened but, realistically, to have any hope we've got to win virtually every game.

"It is incredibly difficult to envisage any sort of play-off push from here and we have to acknowledge that but we will keep going.

"I felt last weekend's game was one that we couldn't afford to lose and we had to accept that Harborough deserved to beat us.

"The question is now, are we good enough? We've got eight games left, we'll take one at a time and try to pick up some points."

The Biggleswade match is the first of a run for Spalding of three successive games against sides in the lower regions of the table.

They host Hitchin Town next Saturday before a trip to Lowestoft Town on Saturday, March 29.

Boss Dean, however, is refusing to take anything for granted and feels the struggling trio could pose a stern test to the Tulips.

He commented: "Every game presents an opportunity but I don't think we look at the sides in the bottom five, especially at this time of the season, and think they're easy games.

"Those teams are fighting for their lives and want to stay in the division but we'll keep playing until there is nothing to play for.

"We can't think any differently and I certainly don't know any different."

Summer signing Jonny Ngandu has departed Spalding to join league rivals Alvechurch.

Deeping Rangers face Newark and Sherwood for the second successive Saturday in the United Counties League Premier Division North.

The Clarets completed a hat-trick of successive league wins when Josh Moreman's penalty secured a 1-0 home win over the Highwaymen last weekend.

They now travel to Newark's adopted home of Harrowby United looking to complete a quick-fire double.

Manager Brett Whaley said: "Both sides know what to expect and, although we know the personnel which they've got, we don't know how the game is going to go.

"They owe us one so they're obviously going to come back at us but, it doesn't matter how we do it, we have to come away with something on the board."

Second-placed Bourne Town face one of their promotion rivals when they travel to AFC Mansfield who currently occupy fifth spot.

The Bulls were 2-1 winners at the Abbey Lawn on the opening day of the season with Wakes manager Michael Goode keen for his side to avenge that defeat.

He said: "It is a tough place to go but we do owe them one from earlier in the season.

"We know what they're about because they're similar to us in that they work hard, get men behind the ball and hit teams on the counter-attack.

"It's what they did to us when we played them at home so we'll have to be ready for that."

Bourne hope to have striker Tom Siddons available for selection again after not featuring for the last two games but top scorer Zac Allen remains sidelined due to injury.