Build-up: Glossop North End vs AFC Liverpool

So it's Surrey Street at 3pm today for Glossop North End vs AFC Liverpool in the North West Counties Football League Premier Division.

The clubs have had contrasting fortunes so far this season, Glossop are well placed at 6th in the table and just 3 points behind the top of the table club, and with 4 of the 5 clubs above them having played 1-4 more games. Glossop also have the division's best goal difference of +21.

Meanwhile AFC Liverpool, having been promoted to the Premier Division after last season, are struggling at the foot of the table. It looks grim for them with just 3 points from 13 games and not a single win yet, the only club in the division who haven't got a win yet.

So you'd think a club performing so poorly will have been taken to pieces in several matches and suffered some thrashings, but actually individual results haven't been that grim for them - of their 10 defeats only one has been lost by a 3 goal margin, 3 defeats were by a 2 goal margin and 6 of them have been by just the one goal.

These two have already played each other in the league this season, at AFC Liverpool on the 13th August it finished 1-0 to Glossop.

Here's a breakdown of how results have been in the league for both teams so far:
GNE, played 15: WLWWDWLWLWWWWLD
AFC Liverpool, played 13: LLLLDLLLLLDLD

AFC Liverpool's big problem seems to have been scoring goals as they've averaged just 1 goal a game. But in the last 3 league games, of which 2 have been draws, they've scored twice in each. Add to that a cup win at Flixton last week, and this is a club that are finally seeing a few minor reasons to wonder if things may begin to improve soon.

Glossop haven't struggled with goals lately and have registered a number of big victories, including a 7-1 and a 3 game run where they scored 5 goals in each game to win 5-0, 5-2 and 5-1. But they have been a bit inconsistent especially at home where in amongst the big wins have been two 1-0 defeats and a 0-0 bore draw.

Going off the table alone you'd expect today's game to be a home banker, but delving into the stats suggests this isn't a certainty by any means.