Sam’s Good Friday pledge
Maidenhead United FC: Barratt determined to help Magpies finish season strongly after returning from injury
Sam Barratt is hoping to make it a very Good Friday for Maidenhead United fans and is determined for the club to finish the season strongly following his return from injury.
He admits he and his teammates weren't at their best in Saturday's 1-0 win over already relegated Dover Athletic, but they persevered to win the match with a 92nd minute goal from top scorer Josh Kelly.
The Magpies just about merited their win on the balance of their improved second half display, having been well below par in the first half.
“I thought we did well at Wealdstone, and I was unlucky not to get a goal there which would have got us the win,” he said, “But Saturday was just a bit of a doggy game. I don't think anyone in our team played that well, we were all below par, myself included.
“Whether that’s because we were a little leggy after Tuesday’s game at Wealdstone, I don’t know, but our training this week has been good so we're hoping to for a good Friday.
“I think we knew first half we were well under par, there was no intensity, and our passing wasn't good enough.
“There was just no bite to our play, but when Shawn (McCoulsky) came on at half-time he stretched their defence, and it gave us a bit more space on the ball. Having said that we were still well below par, but maybe we just about deserved to win because we kept going to the last minute.”
The result lifted them 13 points clear of the bottom three ahead of Friday's home game with Weymouth and Barratt
is keen to make up for lost time having missed much of the campaign through a frustrating, niggling, knee injury.
He's set himself a little goal-scoring target for the Magpies' remaining six games and hopes to play as many minutes as he can between now and Sunday, May 15, when the Magpies host Notts County on the final day.
“The word to sum it up is frustrating,” he said. “It's been an odd one because I haven't had a bad injury.
“There was an issue around my knee, and it didn't get picked up in the initial scan, so I kept coming back too early. I kept feeling it, so we were cautious. We thought we were doing everything right, but then I saw a specialist and they saw something that wasn't see in the initial scan.
“Once we knew what the issue was, we could rehab properly and come back in the estimated time, but it's been a frustrating one for me, especially after my season last year.
“I wanted to build on that, but it's one of those, football comes with injuries unfortunately. My old injury is nothing to do with this one and, if anything, I’d say my knee is stronger than it’s ever been before. I'm now just glad to be back out on the pitch, even if we only have six or seven games left.
“I want to play as much as I can and carry on working into the off-season so I can come back stronger next season.”
Despite their lowly position in the table - second bottom heading into this fixture - Weymouth have been something of a bogey team for Devonshire's men since their return to the topflight of non-league football.
United will also hope to pick up points from Monday's trip to Bromley, with the Ravens having fallen out of play-off contention following a run of 10 league matches without a win.
“Weymouth have been a bit of a bogey team for us since we've been together in this league,” added Barratt.
“I can't really put my finger on why, but there are some games you come away from scratching your head and wondering how you didn't get anything and that's been the case with Weymouth. But it would be good to start the Easter weekend with a win and I also think we've got a good chance to cause an upset at Bromley on Monday with their patchy form.
“Barring Saturday we've been playing much better, so it would be nice to get a win. Hopefully the weather is nice and there's a good crowd. Let’s get some goals and get some points for them.
“I think I've scored five goals in 15 games this season, but it would be nice to grab maybe another three goals before the season ends.”