Toolstation/Hellenic Laird feeling positive about his ‘young team’
OLDLAND Abbotonians manager Craig Laird believes his young team are showing they have it in them to make a concerted final push for safety.
Blitzed 7-1 at home by Bridgwater United’s big guns previous time out, Oldland responded with an important 3-1 success over Saltash United hosts they drew level with on 15 points, now occupying fourth and fifth from bottom rungs, respectively, on the Toolstation Premier Division ladder.
With only one club expected to drop, and Millbrook looking the likeliest to do so with only three points to their name and goals flying into their net at an alarming rate, many would consider Laird’s team to all but be assured their place in the Prem heading into the summer.
With a wealth of experience behind him managing the likes of Weston-super-Mare, Yate Town and Bridgwater, the Abbotonians supremo is far from resting on his laurels at a time his team are preparing to confront a series of sides sitting in and around them in the lower reaches of the table.
With Nailsea & Tickenham next up at Castle Road HQ tomorrow, Laird accepted: “I knew it would be tough when I took over in October. It was all about making sure we stayed in this division and look to push on from there, which I believe we will.
“The lads showed they do have the mental strength, the resilience, to get through tough times. No one likes getting beaten heavily, as we did by Bridgwater. I said then, let’s all go home and reflect on what we might have done better that afternoon. From my perspective as manager, perhaps damage limitation might have been called for on the day.
“We seem to be good at going 1-0 down in games, and that happened again at Saltash on Saturday. We’ve been trying to instil a mindset in the players that just because you fall behind doesn’t mean you’re beaten. The important thing is to not lose more goals quickly, to remain solid and resilient. We did that, we kept ourselves in the game and ran out deserved winners.”
The enthusiastic Scot has overseen a raft of new additions to his ranks in recent weeks in the shape of experienced goalkeeper Josh Dempsey, pacy winger Alfie Clark, released by Exeter City and in on a dual-registration ticket from Bideford; holding midfielder Freddie Kershaw, on dual-registration too from Bristol Manor Farm, and right-sided teenage defender Charlie Perkins, now with Oldland until the end of the season from Bristol Rovers. The Castle Road leader has also drafted in University of Bath duo Tom Blake (midfielder) and Elliot Creely (centre-back) until the campaign’s conclusion.
Once tomorrow’s Nailsea test is done, Oldland face 10th-placed Torpoint Athletic, ailing Wellington, mid-table Brixham and rockbottom Millbrook in their next four fixtures, offering opportunities to put paid once and for all to any lingering relegation concerns.
“These are important games, as others down there with us will also feel there are serious points up for grabs,” said Laird.
“I feel we’re in a mini-league now, one that we want to finish top of. We want momentum going into next season to help us build a more competitive squad. I do already feel we’re on our way towards achieving that.
“It’s a young team as it stands, and you want that as they are your future. If we can add experience to that, and it’s something we’re trying to do now, all the better.”
Languishing beneath Oldland third from bottom are Welton Rovers, who face a tough away day with sixth-placed Barnstaple Town amid a truly testing period for Tom Smith’s team.
Second-placed Clevedon Town, buoyed by an 8-0 weekend mauling of Millbrook to halt a frustrating run of four games without victory, seek to keep the pressure on leaders Helston Athletic when they go to Ilfracombe Town tomorrow.
Tytherington Rocks boss Steve Farr is adamant a top-10 finish would be “a big achievement” as he prepares them to take on the considerable might of Hellenic Division One leaders and Hardwicke Fields guests Hartpury University tomorrow.
After a truly positive first few months of their season, Rocks have taken something of a downturn in fortunes, with Saturday’s 1-0 home defeat at the hands of mid-table rivals Abingdon United a particular disappointment in the mind of their supremo.
“We’d really been targeting points from that one but instead let ourselves down,” Farr conceded.
“We did enjoy a bit of glory in beating Bitton away on penalties in the GFA Trophy on the Tuesday night of that week, to set us up for a nice quarter-final tie at home against Longwell Green (on Tuesday, February 20).
“That aside, it’s been a tough couple of months on the pitch whereas before everyone had y been looking up at play-off possibilities.
“What we’ve been seeing is how much money talks in our league. Our next opponents Hartpury are full-time, training five days a week, with lads aspiring to becoming pro players. They shouldn’t be anywhere near this league.
“I can just about get 16 in for our one Thursday evening training which, believe me, is an achievement for us.
“It’s been a real eye opener, the size of clubs in this division compared to ours, some of whom are struggling beneath us in the table. It says much about how well we’ve done.
“Many of our lads are simply not used to the relentless fixtures coming at them either; it’s a big ask, all the midweek and weekend games.
“First off, we obviously need to make sure we don’t undo all our hard work at the front end of the season by getting sucked into a relegation battle. If we can do that and finish up in the top 10, the season
will have been a real positive.” For all his first team battles, former Berkeley Town boss Farr is delighted by progress made off the pitch.
“Tim Whittaker, the son of our long-serving clubman Barrie, has been elected as our new chairman,” the Rocks manager explained.
“We have a new vice-chairman too in Dave Marshall, a former player of ours, while Mark Thorpe, who was our chairman at the start of the season, now has commercial responsibilities dealing with sponsorship and matchday promotions.
“Behind the scenes we’ve really turned the corner. At the start of the season we had three committee blokes and a clubhouse; there was no one else to call upon.
“Making necessary changes by getting more people involved means everyone’s excited about what’s happening at the club now.”
Tytherington, meanwhile, know all about tomorrow’s lofty opponents Hartpury.
While Rocks crashed 5-0 on their late-November travels in league activity, they did see off the visiting university side 2-0 a week prior in Marsh Challenge Cup competition.
Elsewhere in Hellenic’s second tier, Chipping Sodbury Town’s desperate battle to find an escape route continues at Stonehouse Town.
Further up the standings, sixthplaced FC Bristol seek to maintain interest in the play-offs away at fourth-spot Devizes Town, despite the bruising effects of Wednesday’s 7-1 home crushing by Hartpury.
The Premier Division sees Roman Glass St George at Fairford Town and Thornbury Town visiting relegation-haunted Wantage Town for a crucial bottom-three game.