Repeat winter just Jim’s tonic
COUNTY boss Jim Gannon is looking forward to what he hopes can be a “fantastic” festive season for his side, as The Hatters continued their impressive recent run of form with a lastgasp leveller against Ebbsfleet on Saturday.
Sam Walker’s stoppage time free-kick salvaged a point against an Ebbsfleet side who’ve enjoyed an uplift in form under new boss Kevin Watson as of late.
County look set to head into the final month of the calendar year inside the top half of the fifth tier on the club’s return to the division, with boss Gannon hoping to emulate The Hatters’ superb winter of last season - which helped propel his side onto National League North title glory.
“The message to all of the players is that I respect their ability, and we won’t overwork them. If we keep working really hard, we can look forward to a strong December,” he said.
“We had a fantastic December last year, and then from there it was all about kicking on in the second half of the season.
“I can’t be unhappy with where we’re at, or how things have gone. We stuck with the same players who won us the title at the start of the season, and then ‘phase two’ was bringing new players in who stimulated the rest of the side and gave us some fresh impetus.
“We’re doing a lot of work behind the scenes to ensure that the ‘longterm’ side of the team is looking good - it’s not just about Tuesday and Saturday, but about what Christmas looks like, and what the New Year looks like.
“We want to be contenders this season and next - and we’ll only do that if we can keep the quality, keep building, keep growing; and that’s the challenge everyone should be relishing from top to bottom.”
Walker’s late intervention was County’s third stoppage time strike in as many games, to move The Hatters up to 10th in the National League - and despite failing to secure a third win in a row, an upbeat Gannon chose to reflect on what he feels should be viewed as a positive point at Edgeley Park.
“I don’t think we played well enough to say we deserved to win or that it was a travesty not to win unfortunately it was too much huffing and puffing,” he said.
“In open play, we just didn’t have enough players who knew how to ‘unlock’ them - but the subs often give us a new lease of life and it worked to a point.
“But it’s been a lament of mine recently that we don’t do enough from open play.
“They’ve got some really exciting attacking players. They’ve been on a good run and they know how to utilise their attacking players, so they would have been disappointed to come away with nothing after their efforts.”
Gannon’s fair summary of the game wasn’t lost on Ebbsfleet boss Watson, who took to social media to praise the Hatters boss following the lively stalemate.
The Hatters faithful inside Edgeley Park vented their frustrations at referee Garreth Rhodes and the Ebbsfleet side for what County felt was excessive time-wasting from the visitors - but a typically magnanimous Gannon instead chose to turn his focus swiftly towards the challenging visit of Solihull on Tuesday evening, as the Express went to print.
“The fitness levels of the lads are obviously good. I feel we’re in a good place and ready for the game.
“We have to look at Solihull as being similar to Ebbsfleet in terms of being in good form, having pace and power and being effective from set plays.”
“We’ll have to be manly up against them, and myself and the coaching staff will have to ensure that we’re selecting a side which allows players a rest.”
“We can’t ask our key players to ask at the top of their game for 96 minutes for three games in eight days, including a trip to Torquay in there.”
“It’s a risk to change the side, obviously - but it’s time for a few well thought out changes to ensure we have a really purposeful team in both Tuesday and Saturday’s games.”