NEVILLE Powell is hopeful that his side can break the Manager of the Month curse when they take on Cefn Druids under the floodlights at Park Avenue on Friday evening (7.45pm).

Powell has won the Welsh Premier award for November, having gone through the month without a defeat, but their eight match unbeaten run then ended with a 4-0 loss at Caernarfon last Friday.

The result meant that the Cofis moved within a point of the sixth-placed Seasiders, with five more matches to play until the league split.

Powell and assistant manager Gavin Allen will be targeting maximum home points against the Druids, who beat them 1-0 at the Rock back in October.

The Seasiders are set to be without suspended talisman Declan Walker, however, after he was sent off in the 42nd minutes at the Oval last Friday, following a second booking.

Two penalties from Welsh Premier Player of the Month Nathan Craig set up Caernarfon’s win, before further goals from Jamie Breese and Darren Thomas ended 10-man Aber’s hopes.

There were positives to take from a spirited performance, however, and Powell will be looking for an immediate response from his side.

“It’s nice getting the Manager of the Month award, and people do talk about the ‘curse’ of it, but I don’t see it like that,” said the Aber boss.

”We’ve been on the end of some bad decisions tonight, and we have paid for it.

“We came here to win and it was an entertaining game. Caernarfon played really well, and until Declan got sent off I thought it was a great game, but that spoilt it.

“We will not dwell on it, and we’ll move on and put it to bed. We’re still in a strong position for a top six spot.”

Meanwhile Druids, who are ninth, will travel to Aber on Friday looking to build on a solid performance against leaders Connah’s Quay.

Michael Bakare curled a strike into the top corner for Nomads, but that was cancelled out by Dean Rittenberg’s 25-yard half-volley.

Nomads claimed the three points when Danny Holmes was fouled in the area and Callum Morris calmly converted the resulting penalty, but Druids manager Hugh Griffiths was encouraged by his team’s performance.

“It was a pretty even game, there was very, very little between the two teams and I was pleased with the performance,” he commented.

“It’s quite encouraging to know that we can compete with the better sides in the league, but we were on the wrong side of this result.

“The game was decided by small margins and the lads put in a good shift. We want to bounce back at Aber.”

It will be a crucial festive period for the Seasiders as they look to secure their place in the top half of the table, with a festive double-header against Newtown.

They will take on the fourth-placed Robins at Park Avenue on Boxing Day, before the return match on 30 December at Latham Park.

The Seasiders’ final matches before the league split will be a home match against league leaders Connah’s Quay on Friday, 4 January, before a trip to face second-placed Barry Town on 12 January.