Southern I’ll never be cautious with my goals for Manor Farm, says manager Lashenko
BRISTOL Manor Farm manager Lee Lashenko insists he will never head down the “cautious and boring” route in his mission to drive his team into Southern League Premier Division contention.
Lashenko’s injury-affected outfit followed up a 2-0 opening-day home Division One South loss to Cirencester Town at the weekend with a spirit-raising 2-1 win at local rivals Yate Town in Tuesday night’s FA Cup first qualifying round tie.
Goals both sides of the break by Lucas Vowles, a summer acquisition from Clevedon Town, and popular Farm returnee Lewis Bamford, who scored against the side he joined midway through last term, proved sufficient against Yate hosts who pulled a goal back through new signing, Stuart Fleetwood in stoppage-time.
Lashenko said: “We’d suffered a bit of first-day syndrome against Cirencester, not helped by injuries, and we had a few missing again at Yate.
“But the lads turned in a really good and honest effort, spurred on by our usual vocal following, to see us through to Friday’s draw.
“I’ve had some good times in my eight seasons here and that was one of the best, the sort that sends you home buzzing and has you struggling to sleep.”
The Creek supremo, whose side host Highworth Town back in the league tomorrow, said: “Nothing changes in terms of what I want to achieve with Manor Farm. The more understanding we get as a group, the stronger we’ll become.
“Some people seem to take glee in us falling short of our targets but I don’t like being cautious and boring when it comes to my goals. My aim right now is to be in the top ten by the midway point of the season and use it as a springboard to push on.
“I feel our always-loyal supporters will have a good time this season with the group of lads we’ve assembled from within and elsewhere.
“I also feel that off the field we’re catching up with established local clubs like Yate and Mangotsfield which should have a positive impact on the pitch.”
Dan Spencer, Aron Robbins, Jamie Bird and Lloyd Mills all hope to return from injury within a fortnight.
Disappointed yet unbowed, Yate can still approach their home fixture with Dorchester Town in the Premier Division tomorrow in good heart having held Metropolitan Police to a 1-1 opening-day draw in Surrey on Saturday, helped by a splendid second-half display in particular.
Meanwhile, Mike Richardson is adamant manager Glyn Ashton is the ideal man to lead a young and “entertaining” Mangotsfield United through a “critical and challenging” juncture of the club’s 69-year history.
“Glyn has been an established and popular presence around the place for many years now, running our under-18s, youth and junior sections,” the Cossham Street chairman acknowledged. “He understands precisely where we are right now and that is in a position where we simply cannot afford to sign seasoned players.
“We know it will be tough but one thing is for sure, our supporters can expect entertaining football because we have a really talented bunch of enthusiastic young lads who have the quality to make a positive impact.
“That has been helped massively by our strong connection with Dave Hockaday and his players at South Gloucestershire College.
“The kids we have from him, average age around 17/18, are clearly well coached and fit and that is down to Dave. Glyn then puts his stamp on them at training on Tuesdays and Thursdays.
“There are no senior players in our side and the youngsters are getting paid in expenses only.
“I really don’t know how other clubs at our level are doing it with so little income coming in at this time. Some surely must have benefactors.
“Our club for one is shut during the week because of the coronavirus constraints and it kills us.”
Mangotsfield lost their first two tough games, albeit by agonising margins, as a 2-1 FA Cup away defeat by Toolstation Premier Division Tavistock and 1-0 home loss to last season’s pacesetters Frome Town in the league last weekend suggest.
“We’re very pleased at how competitively we’ve started and even our opponents both said we didn’t deserve to lose,” said Richardson.
“The most important thing for us is to stay in this league and survive but there are lots of positive things going on behind the scenes which should put us on a stronger footing in years to come,” added the Field chief, whose team are next in action this Tuesday night at Winchester City in Division One South (7.45pm).
Paulton Rovers are in national knockout competition tomorrow, hoping to atone for their frustrating 1-0 FA Cup defeat at Saltash United a fortnight back when they travel to confront Division One South rivals Cirencester Town for an FA Trophy opener tomorrow.
John Rendell’s men can head to Gloucestershire in positive vein after holding Thatcham Town, last season’s leaders before the early conclusion, to a goalless stalemate in last weekend’s league opener in Berkshire.