Daventry Town boss Darran Foster has called on his players to ‘make a statement’ that their play-off bid is alive and kicking when leaders Burnham come calling on Saturday.
Town’s top-five bid suffered a setback on Tuesday night when they were held to a 1-1 draw at home by Thatcham.
The Daventry boss admits that result was ‘disappointing and frustrating’, and admits there is now no room for any error in the final 15 games of the season.
Daventry, who were impressive 4-1 winners at Chertsey last weekend, play many of their promotion rivals in the run-in, and Foster says they have to start ‘beating the big boys’ if they are to realise their promotion dream - starting with the visit to Communications Park of table-toppers Burnham on Saturday (ko 3pm).
“I think we have only lost to of our last 14 games in the league, but have drawn four or five we should have won which has hurt us, and every game is massive for us now,” said Foster
“I know I keep saying it, but we can’t afford to drop any more points.
“Everybody is taking points off each other at the top, but we really can’t affford to drop any more and this is it for us now.
“We have Burnham on Saturday, we have Beaconsfield on Monday, we have to play Slough twice and Godalming, and they are five of our next six games.
“We want to get into the play-offs and realistically to do that we are going to have to start taking points off these big boys, and we have to start beating them.
“Our record is good against the top teams, and we have to do it again.
“Burnham are a strong side, and beating them would make a statement.
“We drew 2-2 at their place earlier in the season, and we can beat anybody in this league on our day, but we have to make sure we have our day for the next 15 games!”
Daventry will be without Ashley Robinson for Saturday’s game as he is away, but they will be able to call on striker Scott Cross, despite his dismissal for his part in a second-half scuffle in the draw against Thatcham.
Cross’s suspension will not kick in for three weeks.
Apart from Robinson’s absence, Foster has a full squad to choose from.
KETTERING TOWN
Imraan Ladak says Ritchie Jeune “can have” his shareholding in Kettering Town if he can secure a future for the club, writes JON DUNHAM.
The Poppies’ majority shareholder has broken his silence following the news that Jeune is planning to relocate the club to Burton Park Wanderers’ Latimer Park ground in Burton Latimer for the start of next season.
And Ladak appears to have cleared the way for Jeune to complete a takeover of the club once final plans are in place.
“I have nothing to do with any decision that is made by Kettering Town now. I am leaving it to Ritchie,” Ladak said.
“I am not running the club in any way. Whatever Ritchie can do for the future of the club is fantastic as far as I am concerned.
“I am not involved in anything the club is doing, I am just not involved at all.
“If Ritchie gets in a position where he can sort something out for the future then he can have the shareholding as well.
“I may be a shareholder in name but I am not in the business and not looking to make any money out of it.
“Ritchie has proved he loves the club by keeping it alive and he clearly has a lot of support for what he is trying to do. It would be nice if Ritchie could find a solution that works for him and the fans.”
And, on the Nene Park situation, Ladak added: “I tried to broker a deal with several parties and I have now stepped out of the loop.
“I wasn’t able to find a compromise as the middle man so I am leaving it to others to deal directly with the landlord of Nene Park.”
WOODFORD UNITED
Woodford United joint manager Paul Oddy has bemoaned the lack of experience in his youthful side. The Reds are still without a point in the Evo-Stik Southern League Division One Central this season, but Oddy feels that is more down to lack of nous rather than a lack of playing ability. “We’ll give it our best shot,” said the Reds’ joint boss, who takes his side to Thatcham Town on Saturday. “I feel sorry for the defence, which has been the same for the past five or six weeks. “They’ve been doing well. “The midfield and up front is where we’re struggling because we don’t defend from the front.”
CORBY TOWN
Chris Plummer knows Corby Town need to start picking up points quickly if they are not to become fully embroiled in a relegation dogfight in the Blue Square Bet North.
The Steelmen slipped to a fourth successive defeat at the weekend as they became the latest victims of champions-elect Chester who claimed a 2-1 success at Steel Park to edge ever closer towards promotion.
The latest setback leaves Plummer’s men just above the relegation zone, although they do have an eight-point advantage over Colwyn Bay, who are third from bottom but have two games in hand.
Plummer knows his team are about to enter a key period where they will play the teams around them including a huge showdown at Colwyn Bay on Saturday week.
And while he admits points are needed quickly, he believes his team can feel optimistic about the key weeks that lie ahead.
“It is a dangerous game looking down the table and thinking these teams have a lot of points to make up to catch us,” he said.
“We have proved over the past four games that anything can happen. We haven’t picked up any points and then you look at a side like Histon who have had a great run and got themselves out of it.
“Colwyn Bay are the side who can catch us and they have just got a new manager in and we know what a good effect that can have.
“We can’t be complacent, we need to get some points on the board and worry only about what we are doing.
“We need to pick up as many points as we can as soon as possible.
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