Bold, of Orford, has a depressed fracture of his skull and a hairline fracture of an eye socket following an accidental collision in the North Western Trains League Division Two game against Daisy Hill at Cantilever Park.

It was a nightmare week for the club with captain Chris Hunt breaking his leg and damaging ankle ligaments in the same game while in midweek Ian Hughes, the son of the manager, was stretchered off with knee cruciate ligament trouble against Colne last Tuesday.

All three are defenders and they will miss out on Town's first cup final appearance for six years when they meet Fleetwood at Darwen on April 8 in the Second Division Trophy final.

Dave Hughes said: "It wasn't realised how bad Ian's injury was. He wanted to carry on playing but we sent him to the hospital along with Chris Hunt.

"Ian was playing in central defence and the Daisy Hill centre forward accidentally nutted him while they were both in the air for a ball.

"There was concern on Saturday that Ian might not play again and his career was over but he has had better news since and is in good spirits.

"He will not have to have a major operation but a minor one which is cosmetic more than anything else. A major operation would have left him with a massive scar but he will be having a small operation across his eye sockets which will leave a small scar.

"If you can picture it, he has a dent in his forehead the size of a 10p piece and it is all soft. He is very fortunate as they have told him that another quarter of an inch would have damaged his brain."

Bold, an advertising representative, spent four days in hospital but is now home. He watched Town's game at Chadderton on Tuesday, as did Hunt who also spent four days in hospital.

Hughes said: "It is a big shame for all three players. They are committed lads and were made up when we got through to the cup final but now they will miss out. I'm sure they will all be there to cheer the lads on."

Another defender, experienced Elfyn Edwards, will miss the latter end of the season with a five-week suspension but will be available for the cup final.

And so too will be defender Alan Blair, who has returned to the club as player coach after departing from Runcorn.

Blair was Brownbill's assistant when he was in charge at Town and Runcorn and having played the last few minutes of Tuesday's league game at Chadderton he is eligible for the final.

Blair will line up in the centre of defence tomorrow, Saturday, when Warrington visit lowly Ashton Town. On Wednesday Town travel to Castleton.

Town are appealing for volunteers to turn up on Sunday at 10am to help tidy Cantilever Park in preparation for a visit by the league's ground grading committee.

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