Jim Nichols may have got his Penrith AFC management career off to the perfect start with two wins from his first two matches - but he will have a selection crisis on his hands against Newton Aycliffe.

The Bonny Blues’ defence will be hit worst by the absence of some key players for this afternoon’s away trip, which is Penrith’s first since Nichols was appointed as the permanent successor to Mark Birch.

Defensive duo Will Paul and Jordan Lawson will be missing.

Meanwhile, former Workington Reds stopper Jonny Jamieson made a penalty save during the Bonny Blues’ 3-0 win over reigning FA Vase winners Morpeth Town on Wednesday evening to underline his importance to the team.

And Nichols praised the attitude of the keeper over the last few weeks.

He said: “Jonny made a great save (from the penalty). He made a few, actually during the game.

“He is one who stood up and has contributed to what we are doing.”

“We are missing a few,” Nichols added ahead of today’s trip to Moore Lane Park (3pm kick-off).

“Grant Davidson is one of those away.

“But, for the lads that haven’t been playing, if they play well they will keep their place - it is as simple as that.”

Nichols also praised his players for their performance in the win over Morpeth on Wednesday. “We were really, really pleased,” he added.

“We set our standard in the second-half last Saturday (against Durham City).

“I watched a lot of them (Morpeth) on the internet because they put highlights up of every game. We knew they were playing a really, really narrow diamond.

“That affected my selection and the side we played worked a treat. We worked them off the pitch and they (the Penrith players) all looked like they had ran a marathon at the end.

“That is what we are about as a team.”

Hitman Martyn Coleman was the Bonny Blues’ hero, scoring a first-half hat-trick to return to goalscoring form in spectacular style after an indifferent start to the season.

Nichols was full of praise for his striker Coleman. “He will probably still get 30 goals this year and he got another three on Wednesday,” he said.

“He has been saying at the start of the season he doesn’t feel quite right. But he said on Wednesday ‘actually I feel quite good tonight’.

“His first goal was brilliant. That gave him confidence.

“I was speaking to one of their managers (Morpeth are joint-managed by Nick Gray and Dave Malone) before the game and I thought he was a little disrespectful towards Martyn, so I was even more pleased for him.”

After last Saturday’s 5-3 extra-time win over Durham City in the FA Vase first qualifying round, the Bonny Blues will play Team Northumbria - who beat Carlisle City last weekend - in the second qualifying round.

A further £800 in prize money will be up for grabs in that tie next Saturday, played at Frenchfield Park.

Meanwhile, the mid-week victory saw Penrith start their rise up the Northern League table.

They jumped two places to 15th position and have eight points from seven league matches.