Blues chief Jon – ‘I think we’re better when the pressure is on’
LEEK Town chairman Jon Eeles believes his side will relish the play-off pressure - despite not knowing yet who they will be facing.
Blues have guaranteed their spot in the Northern Premier League top five, but have to wait until after Saturday’s final league matches of the season to find out whether they will be at home or away in Tuesday’s semi-final.
Leek are currently in fourth place, but a win at third-placed Marine at the weekend will guarantee a home semi-final.
But their opponents are also unknown, with Warrington Rylands and Workington battling it out for the title, while Runcorn Linnets are in fifth place.
That means Leek can finish in third, fourth or fifth spots when the curtain comes down on the regular season.
The sides in second and third will have home advantage in the play-off semi-finals.
“The win against Mossley the other week took the pressure off us a bit,” said Eeles, above. “But I do think we’re better when the pressure is on.
“The players are really up for it and although we’d like to be at home, it’s not the end of the world if we have to go away.
“Our away form is the second or third best in the league over the course of the season.
“We would have settled for being in the position we’re in after the start we made - taking only one point from nine.”
Leek head into this weekend’s encounter on the back of a 2-0 defeat at Runcorn Linnets and Monday’s 0-0 home draw against Kidsgrove.
Blues missed a chance to win on Bank Holiday Monday when Louis Keenan saw his penalty saved.
“We lost at Runcorn, but there was nothing in the game, bar a penalty and them scoring a wonder goal which deserved to win any game,” added Eeles.
“If wehad scored the penalty against Kidsgrove, it could have been different. But it was a dubious decision anyway. It was a foul, but I thought contact was outside the box.
“It was a good save by the keeper and he was probably
Kidsgrove’s best player on the day - he made some terrific stops.”
Leek will be eyeing up victory at Marine on Saturday to not only confirm a home playoff berth, but also to return to winning ways.
But since they have confirmed their top-five spot, manager Neil Baker has shuffled his pack to try to ensure his players are in tip-top condition for their season extension.
“Olly Harrison and Ross Davidson didn’t start against Kidsgrove, but it gave Neil the chance to get some minutes into Marc Grocott, who has come back from injury,” explained Eeles.
“I’m sure the players will raise their game on Saturday because they will all want to be involved in the play-offs.
“I’d say 70 or 80 per cent of the squad have experienced this before, so they know what is required.
“It’s not ideal, from an off the pitch point of view, to not know who we will be playing or where until after Saturday. That means it’s a quick turnaround.
“But it doesn’t really matter who we’re going to face. What has happened in the 38-game season goes out of the window to a degree and it becomes cup football.”