Lock: ‘It will be a big achievement for Holyport to avoid relegation’
Boss can see the positives after late Windsor leveller leaves Port rooted to bottom of the table
Sam Lock says keeping Holyport in the Combined Counties Premier Division North will be an accomplishment as big as winning the Conference South with Maidenhead United.
Port could have – and probably should have – secured their second victory of the campaign on Saturday against Windsor but were cruelly denied by Ethan Etukudo scoring a late, late leveller, leaving the side entrenched at the bottom of the table with five points.
Their determination and willing hasn’t come into question this season but they have been struggling due to their resources and inability to bring in new players, according to coach Lock.
“Every game Holyport go into, they’re the underdogs,” he said before adding, “I believe we’re the only team in this league not to pay any expenses so it will be a big achievement to avoid relegation.
“I personally see it as a great challenge to keep Holyport in this league.
“To achieve that will probably up there with winning the Conference South with Maidenhead.
“We had limited resources then – when we beat Ebbsfleet United to the title – and we have limited resources now at Holyport.
“We’re not in a position where we can go and hastily bring someone in like some of the big clubs in are doing in this division.
“We have got to coach who we have at our disposal and put in maximum effort on the training ground.
“Given our means, we are training for about an hour a week, so it doesn’t make things easy, but I still believe we are performing well and doing plenty on matchdays.
“From what I saw on Saturday in terms of discipline and organisation, we were fantastic.
“We outbattled them (Windsor), we showed real quality, and we could have been two or three goals up.
“The boys took a lot of confidence out of that and, to be honest, I think we’re going to start climbing the table – I reckon we are going to beat one of the big boys soon.”
On the team’s spirits and morale, Lock added: “I see a lot of positive signs.
“We seem to have a group that will fight and work hard for one another.
“We have never been able to put the same team on the pitch twice due to various reasons.
“But in terms of the shape and the balance, I think we’ve got it about right. “The players, and the staff, are always looking forward to a game rather than dreading it.”
Holyport were dumped out of the League Cup on Tuesday evening, losing 8-0 when they visited Walton and Hersham.