Friendly rivals Golcar United and Emley AFC are going head-to-head in league and cup in an exciting end to the season.
The HD postcode neighbours are both comfortably in the top half of the Northern Counties East League Premier Division and in great form.
Going into this weekend’s matches, Golcar are eight games unbeaten in league and cup while Emley are unbeaten in nine – and have won the last eight.
The two sides face eachother at Golcar’s Skye Direct Stadium on Tuesday (March 21) at 7.45 and have also just been drawn together in the League Cup semi-final, also at Golcar, on Friday April 21.
Emley still have hopes of promotion while the Weavers have recovered after a slow start to the season.
On Tuesday’s derby clash, Golcar chairman Peter Gledhill said: “I’m expecting it to be a cracker of a game and we are hoping for a big crowd. Emley are chasing a promotion and I hope they get it.
“They are a good club and we see them as our friends, so if they get promoted that’s good for Huddersfield football.
“At the start of the season we wanted to finish in the top half and it looks like we are going to achieve that. We want to finish as high up the table as possible.
“Obviously with the good feeling around the place we want to finish the season strong and have a good bounce going into next season.”
Emley, meanwhile, are chasing down second spot and a play-off place and must win both their games in hand if they are to overhaul Winterton Rangers, who come to the Fantastic Media Welfare Ground on Saturday March 25.
Emley AFC chairman Andrew Painten said: “We know we have tough fixtures but we’ll chase that promotion play-off spot all the way. We have games in hand with postponements earlier in the season, and with having to play Winterton themselves, why can’t we catch them?
“Everyone at the club believes in the players and coaching staff. Yes, we had a slight blip earlier on this season but now we are right back in form and we are determined to push Winterton all the way.”
After Tuesday’s derby in the league, there’s the little matter of the County Cup semi-final. Emley have already reached the final of the Sheffield & Hallamshire County Cup, a competition they’ve won eight times before and Painten is keen to lift that trophy again.
Painten said: “It’s great we have got to a League Cup semi-final and it’ll be good to play Golcar. It clearly shows both Huddersfield clubs are taking the competition seriously.
“I do have to add, though, that with us being so high in the division and looking for promotion and us reaching a Sheffield & Hallamshire County Cup final, a tournament we have a great history in, the League Cup is at the bottom of our priority list. However, that doesn’t mean to say we don’t want to win it because we do!”
Golcar, meanwhile, would love more silverware to add to last season’s play-off trophy and chairman Gledhill said: “For a team like us to be one win away from the League Cup final is quite remarkable.
“I think the deeper we have got into this competition the more it has become a focus and now it’d be great to win it.
“It would be Golcar’s first League Cup final appearance if we make it that far, so a top half finish in the league and to win some silverware, would be superb.”
