Todmorden Borough face another character test when Ladybridge visit Bellholme in the West Lancashire League on Saturday (3.0).
Borough are bottom of Division Two and their opponents second, the Bolton side having reportedly been strengthened by the arrival of a new manager and numerous players from Premier side Eagley.
Both sides had 7-0 scorelines last weekend - Tod lost and Ladybridge won - and Borough also have to cope with several players being absent at a wedding.
Tod have already been granted one postponement for the stag-do surrounding their former player Dave Kay’s nuptials and knew they would not be granted another.
Kay’s brother Chris and several other players are expected to be absent.
“We will be down to the bare bones again,” said club spokesman John Gilford.
Borough should at least have some cricketers back, including Gilford’s son Elliott and possibly Stevie Barker, Joe Gale and Cameron Hanson.
Tod had just 11 players last Saturday when their patched together side bowed out of the Lancashire Cup to Manchester League Premier side Atherton Town.
“We have a list of 25 players and 14 of them were unavailable,” said Gilford.
“The 11 who travelled did their best but we were treading water from start to finish,” he said.
Gilford said the visitors had been forced to put square pegs in round holes, including Dan Lively having to play in goal.
Lively appeared to be fouled when Atherton opened their account and Tod conceded a second in the first seven minutes.
The visitors conceded only one more in the first half but the goal tally mounted after the break in spite of the efforts of Chris Kay in midfield and teenager Jim Crowther up front.