PREVIEW: Saturday's football matches

Eight local teams are in action on Saturday, with four playing at home, in five different competitions.

Four sides will be competing in FA Cup first qualifying round ties and hoping to get a step closer to the first round proper of the famous old competition. 

Glossop North End will host Northern Premier Division One East outfit Pontefract Collieries, after beating Eccleshill United 3-1 in Tuesday night's preliminary-round replay. 

The Hillmen have scored five goals in their last two home games, with joint-manager Pete Band saying in midweek he hopes for a good crowd to cheer on the team. 

Hyde United will be hoping to bounce back from the 2-0 league defeat at Witton Albion when they make the trip to Northumberland to take on Northern Premier Division rivals Morpeth Town, who are nine places below the Tigers in 13th in the table. 

Stalybridge Celtic's reward for their midweek 3-2 win at West Didsbury & Chorlton is a home tie against Marine, who have enjoyed a promising start to the campaign - sitting second in the North West Division with 10 points from a possible 12. 

Celtic, who are unbeaten in all competitions since the opening day of the season, are currently 12th in the Northern Premier Division with seven points from their opening four league games. 

Ashton United will be hoping to put their patchy league form to one side and advance to the second qualifying round when they travel to North Yorkshire, to face a Tadcaster Albion side who are ninth in the North West Division table. 

Jody Banim's Robins are still awaiting their first league win of the campaign and sit 20th in the Northern Premier Division with two points from five games. 

Meanwhile, in League Two, Oldham Athletic will be looking for only their second league win of the season to move further clear of the relegation zone as they make the long trip to Plymouth Argyle. 

Laurent Banide's Latics have taken just four points from their six league matches thus far but will take encouragement from the fact their first win of the campaign came in their last away game - a 2-1 victory at Cambridge United. They're up against Ryan Lowe's promotion-chasing Pilgrims, who occupy a play-off place despite a mixed start to the season. 

In the National League North, Curzon Ashton go in search of a first win in six matches when they journey to Derbyshire to face high-flying Alfreton Town at North Street. 

The Nash, who sit 17th in the table with nine points from as many games, have lost the last two and haven't won since a 3-1 victory over Darlington on 12 August. Meanwhile, Alfreton are fifth and had won four in a row before losing 3-2 at new leaders Kings Lynn Town in midweek. 

In the North West Division, Droylsden are bidding to extend their unbeaten run to four matches when they host Kendal Town, who were thrashed 5-0 at Mossley last weekend. 

After a slow start, Dave Pace's Bloods have had an upturn in fortune in recent weeks, beating Mossley 2-1 and Brighouse 1-0 before snatching a 1-1 draw at home to Prescot Cables earlier this week. 

Elsewhere, in the High Peak, it's a big day at Church Lane for New Mills as new managerial duo Mike Norton and Dave Birch will be involved for their first match.

The Millers - still looking for a first win of the season - welcome Eccleshall in the first round of the Player.Com Cup, looking to avenge the 2-0 defeat they experienced in the league against the same opponents on 26 August. 

Mossley are the only team not in action, with their next game away at bottom-club Pickering Town in the North West Division next Tuesday evening (10 September). 

SATURDAY'S FIXTURES AT A GLANCE:

FA Cup first qualifying round
GLOSSOP NORTH END v Pontefract Collieries 
Morpeth Town v HYDE UNITED
STALYBRIDGE CELTIC v Marine 
Tadcaster Albion v ASHTON UNITED

EFL League Two
Plymouth Argyle v OLDHAM ATHLETIC 

National League North
Alfreton Town v CURZON ASHTON

North West Division
DROYLSDEN v Kendal Town

Player.com Cup first round 
NEW MILLS v Eccleshall 

All matches kick off at 3pm.