Workington Reds will have midfielder James Earl back in contention for this afternoon's clash at Barwell.

Earl is available for selection after serving a four-match suspension, so could slot back into the midfield to give Reds a welcome boost as the fixtures come thick and fast.

However, experienced defender Kyle May will be unavailable due to work commitments and Josh Calvert is a doubt after suffering a badly bruised toe at Ashton United on Tuesday night, forcing Dave Hewson to shuffle his pack.

The manager said it would give him the opportunity to use the cover in his squad as they bid to turn up the heat on their fellow play-offs hopefuls.

He said: “It’s the same as every game; a tough, physical encounter.

“It’s a hard place to go but you’ve got to be thankful that you’ve still got something to play for when you get to this stage of the season.

“You want something to aim for and we’ve got that, so we’ll take it one game at a time.”

Four points separate Reds and fifth-placed Buxton in the final play-offs place after Tuesday night’s win over Ashton, albeit the west Cumbrians have a game in hand on the Bucks and face them in a huge game on Tuesday night at Borough Park.

The Ashton win came after an extended break as Ilkeston’s players went on strike on Saturday and Hewson admitted he was delighted with the way his side dealt with the pressure this week.

“It was a good response from the disappointment of losing against Coalville 10 days earlier, especially with such a long lay-off between the games,” he said.

“It was satisfying and shows the character we have in the dressing room.”

Reds were given another boost on Thursday night as their youngsters beat Pirelli in the semi-final of the Cumberland Cup 4-2 on penalties.

They will now face Penrith in the final, due to be played next month.