NON-LEAGUE FOOTBALL: Drake confident Godmanchester Rovers can cope; Eynesbury hope for treats from Tricks; Huntingdon must forget February slump
New Eynesbury signing James Tricks (left) while playing for St Neots Town last season. - Credit: Archant
Manager Ollie Drake is convinced his Godmanchester Rovers squad can cope with the demands of a hectic Thurlow Nunn League Premier Division run-in.
Rovers must squeeze their final 15 league matches into just 57 days from this Saturday – when they entertain Kirkley & Pakefield – to the end of the campaign on May 5.
Drake’s side currently sit sixth in the Premier Division standings, but a third-placed finish is within reach as they have a host of matches in hand on the teams above them.
“My players can definitely handle our run-in and they are great under pressure,” said Drake, who’s side are also still involved in the Hinchingbrooke Cup.
“The atmosphere and togetherness in our camp has been a big contributor to u getting into a position from where we can finish in the top five. That’s the target we’re working towards.”
Eynesbury are chasing a third successive top-six finish in the United Counties League Premier Division.
They are set to hand a debut to new striking signing James Tricks when hosting Northampton side ON Chenecks this Saturday.
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Tricks has been at Soham Town Rangers, Wisbech Town and Spalding United during the current campaign and also had a spell at St Neots Town last season. He will fill the void left by 40-goal Dom Lawless, who has now returned to title-chasing former club Newport Pagnell.
But Rovers, who then host Yaxley in a re-arranged Hunts Senior Cup semi-final on Tuesday, have injury problems with defender Jack Uttridge, midfielders Matt Miles and Matty Clifford, and attacking players Craig Smith and Luis Vieira all out.
Huntingdon boss Jimmy Brattan is refusing to give up on his long-standing top-seven target in Division One – despite a four-game losing streak during February.
Town have slipped into the bottom half of the table as a result of that slump in form. It’s one Brattan believes his men can correct, starting with a Saturday trip to Irchester.
“We’re eight points off the top seven now but it’s not beyond us,” said Brattan. “We’ve got 10 games to go and we need to me sure we win the majority of them. It’s important we leave February behind us.”
