Moyses ready to face top two

The Reds have won three out of four under Moyses since he succeeded John McDermott and have climbed to 13th in the table, five points above the relegation zone.

Leaders Salford City come to the Impact Arena on Saturday before Alfreton are due to head to second-placed Harrogate Town on Tuesday night, although that match could be subject to the rearrangement of the Derbyshire Senior Cup semi-final against Ilkeston Town which was called off this week.

Salford have lost their last two league games and although they remain top of the table by two points from Harrogate, Moyses says it could be seen as a bad time to be playing them.

He said: “They’ll be a wounded animal and wanting to put things right after their last couple of games.

“I’ve watched a lot of footage of their game at York City on Saturday and it’s clear they are a big, strong unit but we know plenty about them and will be prepared.”

Harrogate, who go to fourth-placed Kidderminster on Saturday, have won all three of the league games they’ve played since losing to Salford on January 20.

And ahead of facing them on their 3G surface, Moyses said: “They’ve not had as many games called off such is the nature of their pitch, which is usually the case with teams that have that kind of surface.

“I’m not a big fan of 3G aside from them being good to train on and obviously with them being good in terms of beating the weather, but overall I’m more of a traditionalist and much prefer grass.

“They’re a good revenue stream once the initial outlay has been made but although they may become more and more common in non-league given the way so many games are called off now, I much prefer the traditional surfaces.”

Overall, Moyses has been delighted with the return from his first four games in charge and is keen to see the hard work he has subjected his squad to pay off further.

He said: “What’s pleased us most is the way the players have responded to the changes we’ve made in terms of training and how we want to play.

“It’s been hard work and intense but we are seeing the benefits from that with the results we’re getting.

“The Gainsborough game was disappointing but in fairness that may have been a bridge too far for us given we’d had a busy week of games. You just have to live and learn from it.

“Otherwise, the players have been fantastic and given us some great foundations to build on not just now but also next season.”