Trafford up next after thrilling Prescot win
In many ways the only frustrating thing about the superb win at home over Prescot Cables last week is the fact that we’re having to wait seven days to play again!
Such was the positive feel about the place after turning over a team that while now probably out of the title race – there only looks to be one horse in that now – are still looking nailed on for the play-offs, that our next game can’t come round quickly enough.
We ended up taking just four points from our three successive home games against Clitheroe, Widnes and Prescot but that only really tells half the story.
Against Clitheroe we were done on a last-minute equaliser and the performance against Widnes wasn’t anywhere near as bad as the 3-1 scoreline suggests.
Essentially, this means we travel to Trafford in a very positive frame of mind having kept a clean sheet against a very decent side in Prescot and with the goals going in at the other end, largely thanks to the successful pairing of Jake Avery and Tom Jones.
The gaffer is still looking over his shoulder at the teams below us but the gap to Stalybridge, who are fifth in the final play-offs position, is just five points. And there’s still plenty of time to make that up.
Trafford are the next challenge for us, and they had a morale-boosting win of their own last week, thumping near relegation certainties 1874 Northwich, 4-0. That result lifted them to 17th and five points clear of Hednesford, who sit in the other relegation spot.
I caught up with Neil today to ask him how he felt about the shape of the team going into Saturday’s game: “There’s no doubt that the team is in a good place at the moment but Trafford will be a different test of the players’ mentality.
“We’ve proved we can compete with the top sides in the league but if we want to become a good side, then that hunger to keep putting in good performances needs to be there all of the time. That’s what I want to see from this group of players next – consistency of performance.”
Recent matches have seen a strong consistency of selection and the hope is that this can continue if the team keeps putting in the performances. Josh Jordan is our only doubt for Satursday having not trained on Tuesday but we can otherwise report a clean bill of health.
Come on Castle!
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