DEFENDING champions Padiham face a crucial game at top of the table rivals Ribblesdale Wanderers tomorrow as they chase a hat-trick of Jennings Ribblesdale League titles.

Padiham are three points off the pace being set by Cherry Tree and skipper Andy NcNicholas is keen not to lose any more ground, particularly against a Wanderers side looking to avenge last summer's second-place finish.

"At this stage of the season you don't want to be getting more than five points adrfit," admitted McNicholas.

"The two big games for us are at Ribblesdale Wanderers tomorrow and then at Cherry Tree in four or five weeks' time.

"Depending on how those two games go and Cherry Tree's game against Ribblesdale could have a big bearing on what happens at the end of the season, although Read, Clitheroe and Great Harwood are good sides who are capable of beating anyone on their day." Padiham won the championship on the final day last season with only four points separating the top four sides.

And McNicholas thinks it could be just as tight again.

"We have played our two main rivals and beaten them both but we are still behind Cherry Tree and just ahead of Ribblesdale Wanderers so we might have to beat them again," he added.

On a dry pitch, tomorrow's Church Meadow showdown could be an explosive affair with Wanderers pro Shahid Nawaz taking on his free-scoring Padiham counterpart Ajay Sharma and the in-form Pankaj Tripathi.

However the bowlers are also likely to have say bearing in mind the recent wet weather and Padiham have been well served by McNicholas and the up-and-coming trio of babr Ali, Umar Saddique and Nasir Mehmood in the absence of Shaun Rashid and Steve Gee.

Sharma has also weighed in with 34 wickets with his left-arm spin to top the league averages.

Tomorrow's fixtures: Barnoldswick v Settle, Baxenden v Whalley, Blackburn Northern v Great Harwood, Cherry Tree v Clitheroe, Earby v Read, Edenfield v Oswaldtwistle Immanuel, Ribblesdale Wanderers v Padiham.