Daventry Town boss Darran Foster has hailed the attitude of hitman Ashley Robinson.
Robinson grabbed a goal in his side’s superb 4-1 win at Chalfont St Peter last weekend, Town’s first game back after an enforced winter break.
The striker’s showing was a key reason for the victory, which keeps his team in the hunt for a play-off spot in Southern League Division One Central.
And Foster admitted his delight at how fresh his frontman looked in the crushing of Chalfont.
“We all knew that Ashley had that sort of performance in him,” said the Town manager.
“He’s a big unit so the fitness side of the game is hard for him, but him and Neil King, who was man of the match, came back fresher than anyone.”
Daventry remain in the hunt for a top-five spot this season, but Foster has told his players they are drinking in the last chance saloon.
The boss knows one slip up could prove fatal to hopes of taking part in the end-of-season shootout and he wants his men to build on last weekend’s win when Thatcham come calling on Saturday.
“I’ve had chats with all of the players and they know that one dip in form will see them lose their place in the team,” he said.
“We’ve got a strong squad of 16 and they know where they stand.
“Now is the time to kick on and I’ve told them that this is our last chance to go on a run that could get us into the play-off places.”
BRACKLEY TOWN
Sandy urges Saints to show some fight
Brackley playmaker Elliot Sandy has called on his side to ‘stand up and be counted’ when Harrogate Town head to St James’ Park on Saturday. Sandy was part of the Saints side that went down to a 1-0 defeat at home to Gloucester on Tuesday night. It was a disappointing defeat for Jon Brady’s men, who had recorded a goalless draw at Chester FC last Saturday. And they are now eager to recover against a Harrogate side who beat them 6-1 back in October. Sandy tweeted: “Bad night at the office!! Not enough fight!! Has to be better Saturday!! #standupandbecounted.”
KETTERING TOWN
Baillie takes charge at Poppies as Doyle is moved in ‘reshuffle’ , writes JON DUNHAM.
Thomas Baillie has been appointed as manager of Kettering Town for the remainder of the Evo-Stik Southern League season.
In what has been described by the club as a ‘reshuffle’ of the first-team management of the Poppies, Alan Doyle has been recalled to his original position of technical director.
Baillie had been working as Doyle’s assistant since the club returned to playing following the crippling financial problems that came to a head in October last year and forced the Poppies to stop playing at Nene Park and move into an agreement with Corby Town to play their matches at Steel Park.
Doyle took over as manager at Kettering at the end of September when previous boss John Beck was led away from Nene Park ahead of the FA Carlsberg Trophy defeat to Concord Rangers as he was relieved of his duties by majority shareholder Imraan Ladak.
Doyle was in charge of the 7-0 defeat to Bashley that followed in what many felt at the time was the club’s last game as only 10 players turned up to play for the club.
After a month with no games, the Poppies have continued to struggle on the pitch and are 15 points adrift of safety with 17 games to go.
And their off-field issues remain with Ladak still the majority shareholder despite having no say in the running of the club while the Poppies remain tied to a long-term lease at the currently unused Nene Park.
The club is being run by a team of volunteers led by Ritchie Jeune, who insists planning for next season has started, despite the other issues still lurking.
On the reshuffle, which has been done with the club saying “the setting up of a youth section high on the current priority list”, Jeune said: “With the amount of work ahead of us, in such a short space of time, and with Alan having limited time with the squad other than on match days, I feel that asking him to assist and guide me is in the best interests of the club.
“It is no secret that my knowledge of non-League football is very limited and having Alan’s technical assistance on footballing matters will enable the club to make the right long term decisions, and put the club on a more stable and sustainable footing.
“Alan was there when we needed him most, and stepped in during the embargo period when things were at their darkest at the club.
“I believe that Alan’s input will be invaluable in the exciting times ahead.
“Thomas Baillie will continue in his management role supported by his own team until the end of the season, when we will take stock of what division we are playing in next season and who will be the right person to lead the Poppies moving forward.’
Baillie had previously been at the Poppies when he ran the youth section. His first game at the helm will, ironically, be at Bashley on Saturday.
CORBY TOWN
Plummer relishing tough tests for Steelmen
Chris Plummer is relishing two more tough tests as Corby Town look to bounce back in the Blue Square Bet North, writes JON DUNHAM.
Matches against two sides currently in the top four of the table are probably not what most Steelmen fans would want after seeing their team suffer two successive heavy defeats.
But boss Plummer believes hard work is the key if his team are to turn their fortunes around.
The Steelmen head to fourth-placed Altrincham on Saturday to take on a side who claimed a 5-2 success at Steel Park earlier this season before they welcome champions-elect Chester to Corby next weekend.
And instead of fearing those games after seeing his side lose 6-1 and 5-1 to Harrogate Town and FC Halifax Town in their last two matches, Plummer is looking forward to the tests as he aims to get his team back on track.
“We have got a tough run of games in the league and we are on the back of two disappointing results,” he said.
“Altrincham did a job on us, certainly in the first half, when we played them at Steel Park earlier in the season.
“We need to make improvements on what we have been doing in the league in the last two matches and we will be working hard on that in training.
“We will look forward to the game and then we have Chester at home next week as well.
“But if we want to get into the top half of the table, we need to pick up points against these sides and we will be looking to do that on Saturday.”
Morale was lifted in the Corby camp on Tuesday night as they claimed a 4-1 win at Desborough Town in the semi-final of the NFA Hillier Senior Cup.
And Plummer was particularly pleased with the likes of Liam Richardson, Avelino Vieira and Greg Kaziboni, who all got much-needed time on the pitch and turned in decent displays to give their manager a bit of food for though.
The Steelmen boss added: “I thought the lads who came in did well.
“I thought Liam gave a good account of himself in the middle of the park and it was a first game in a while for Avelino and Greg, who was very good in the second half.
“That game will do them the world of good and it keeps them in my mind.”
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