Lower Breck manager Gary Moore has heaped importance on their clash with Avro in their 2023 curtain-raiser.
The Breck look to kick off their calendar year with a win as they look to push up the table ahead of the business end of the season.
Their hopes of breaking into the top two remain faint but for Moore’s side they’re still fighting on the cup front as they look to achieve Macron Cup success.
On the league front, they kick off the new year with a home clash against the Manchester-based side on Friday at 8pm.
Speaking to Off The Park, Moore said: “There can’t be no tougher to start the year, they lost their last their last game into the new year.
“They’re up there, third in the team and teams around them are losing so they’ve probably had promotion aspirations but now they’ll have the title on their minds going into the new year now because they’re right in the mix.
“It’s a massive game for us in terms of where we come from, we get on very well as clubs but it’s that old Liverpool vs Manchester side, it’s always a big game and we’ve said it to the players, we certainly can’t start this year like we did the last, that was a tough end to last season and we’ve brought it into this season.
“We’ve got to show the supporters something different, we’ve done it, we’ve beat Bury, Wythenshawe and AFC at home, we’ve lost some of the games you’re supposed to be winning or get something out of like we touched on with Boxing Day, there’s games you’ve got take points from and we’ll be looking to do that against Avro – no matter where they are in the table.
“We know if we turn up we’re good enough to beat anyone but you’ve got to turn up first and foremost.”
He added: “We’ve got three at home on the spin before four away. We’ve got a Friday, Thursday-night game and they’re the ones we’ve excelled in but it can’t just be about them.
“It would be great to get off to a flying start against Avro or get something out of the game but you’ve got to keep going, do everything in your powers to get something out of that game.
“There’s no bigger game to start the new year in terms of the history between the two clubs, in a good way, but two who want to beat eachother at the same time. They’re flying and looking to start with a big win with where they are and a title challenge. It’s a massive game and hopefully we get a good crowd.
“It was touched on in training, we got the lads in, trained and had a chat with some messages going out, we told them the ambition now moving forward, we’ve got to start the year in a total different light to last year.
“It’s gone now. We’ve got a good group and can beat anyone but we’ve got to be higher in the table, we don’t want to be dropping into the lower half and drop further, we want to go higher and the only way to do is by winning games.
“There’s going to be a massive emphasis on Congleton in the Macron Cup because it’s the only cup we’re left in but we’ve got a few league games before then so let’s pick the confidence up and then we’ll take that when it comes. First and foremost, let’s try get three points against Avro.”
