UPPING THE ANTE
David Preece is back to discuss the pressures involved in sustaining a promotion charge
GATESHEAD were always the team I looked out for in the Conference over the years. For a time, with the backing of Cameron Hall Developments and their associations with Newcastle United, they were the big dogs of the local Non-League scene. My overriding memory was they always seemed to fly out of the traps until the second half of the season when postponements and fixture congestion would take its toll, and they’d fade away as the finish line approached. They had the finances, it seemed, but not the necessary knowhow to finish the job off. The pile-up of games won’t have helped, but I always did wonder if there was more to it than simple fatigue. It was a curse that spread across the Tyne at the time, as Newcastle famously surrendered a 12-point lead to Manchester United in 1995/96. The question is here, do you credit Manchester United for an amazing comeback or do you label Newcastle United ‘bottlers’?
Obstacles
“Bottlers” is a strong word to use but the fact is, when teams find themselves in unfamiliar territory, they choke because they simply don’t know how to handle the position they’re in. That season, Manchester United had players who had not only been there, but they were wearing the t-shirts under their strips. And that was the key. Look across the three National League division leaders and the picture is starting to look clearer as the season is heading towards the home straight. Lincoln City and Maidenhead are in identical positions; three points clear with a game in hand. No foregone conclusions there and still plenty to be fought for, but looking over to the National League North and AFC Fylde look home and hosed. After finishing second and third in the last two seasons it looks like their nine-point lead is taking them towards the title. Or is it? Experience is key in these situations and so much different to the pressures of fighting a relegation battle. Whether you’ve been in danger of demotion before, instincts take over in those situations. It’s flight or fight. You either dig and scrap for your lives or you freeze as performance anxiety paralyses you. Promotion and title races are different and depending on the player’s perspectives, Fylde’s near-misses of the last couple of seasons could still prove to be their undoing. Salford City’s 5-0 demolition of them last weekend wasn’t just a defeat, it was a statement of intent from the team hunting the leaders down and whilst a nine-point cushion stills leaves them in a comfortable position, it will have planted a seed of doubt into their heads. The pressure is far less greater than on the chasing pack than it is on Fylde, and it will be interesting to see how they handle it, particularly if Kidderminster win their two games in hand to haul them back to just a three-point advantage. The way Fylde have gone about their free-scoring ways until last week has been mightily impressive, and despite steamrollering teams at will at times, if they go on to win the title, it will be a huge achievement given the mental obstacles that lie in their way.
Challenge
Until the Salford defeat, Fylde will have only been looking up towards the league above. Now they have been forced to glance behind them and how they react will have massive repercussions on the run in. The challenge now is to hold their nerve. Key to that is having people in your ranks that have done that before. Winning is winning, but if you haven’t done it at that particular level or higher, there’s a glass ceiling to be broken. At Sunderland during the promotion season of 1995/96, David Kelly and Paul Bracewell had been brought in, not just because of their ability but also because they were winners. They had already won promotion with Newcastle and their influence was crucial as each result took on more meaning. And Fylde do have good players. There is no doubting that. I know top-scorer, Danny Rowe, from my time with him at Lincoln City and what he’s doing now is only what we thought he was capable of when he arrived at Sincil Bank. From the Premier League down, I’ve seen very few players who can strike a ball with such venom as Danny. Any strike from him rarely flies true and add that with the power, it makes any shot a problem. The problem we had at Lincoln was getting him in positions where he could get enough space to fire off his shots. If they can keep their heads focused and continue to create chances for Danny, then it will be a case of Fylde, not flight.