THE form of Albion Sports is still up and down but they are battling hard to remain in the top six of the Premier Division in the Toolstation Northern Counties East League.

Kulwinder Sandhu's side had good news on two fronts last week as they won their local derby clash with Liversedge and a few days later welcomed back an old face.

Sandhu's men won 2-1 at Sedge last weekend and then announced that winger Alex Cusack had rejoined the club. He was one of four players tempted away by offers from Division One neighbours Eccleshill United in the close season.

Yet in typical style for Albion of late, there was a negative in between the two positives as they lost at home to Pickering in midweek.

It was a difficult game and the Lions only lost by the odd goal as Pickering, the only real title challengers to leaders Cleethorpes, remained in second place with a 2-1 verdict.

Sandhu, speaking after last Saturday's win at Liversedge, said: "It's nice to get three points from a local derby because these games can go either way.

"We won but it was one of those games when the tension was building before kick-off and you could feel it in the game. It was still 0-0 at half-time and then we went a goal down.

"Their lad (Steve Wales) picked up a through-ball and our lads all stopped because they thought he was offside. Fair play to him because he played to the whistle and scored.

"Our talisman Asif (Hussain) got us back into it. He's been with us for years and is a former captain.

"He is still proving his desire to play and he loves this club and no-one was more pleased than me when Asif scored a direct free-kick to get us back into it.

"Their keeper made an absolutely fantastic save at 1-1 when Karl Hall sent in a bullet header but Steve Smith scored from a free-kick to make it 2-1. I think we just about deserved the win on the second-half performance."

Albion led for most of Wednesday night's game against Pickering after Hall had given them a 17th-minute lead. The Pikes hit back midway through the second half through Ryan Blott and he then bagged his brace to nick the three points ten minutes from time.