Wotton is desperate to play after midweek horror show
TRURO City manager Paul Wotton wished his players could have played league leaders Metropolitan Police the day after their shock midweek defeat at home to Salisbury.
The White Tigers crashed to a 3-1 loss to the Division One South strugglers at Bolitho Park on Tuesday, which put a huge dent in their playoff aspirations - and things don’t get any easier with a trip to the new league leaders tomorrow.
However, rather than fear what lies in wait for his side, Wotton feels the game is the perfect opportunity for his players to show their true capabilities, wishing the ficture came around sooner than it does after such a disappointing loss.
“Good because it will show what we are made of,” Wotton said when asked about the weekend match. “We have ten games left, starting with a tough game on Saturday and I can’t wait for it. I wish it was tomorrow because that doesn’t sit right in my gut (what happened) tonight.
“I was so disappointed with our application to the game and it leaves you scratching your head a little bit.”
Truro are ten points adrift of a play-off place, but they do have three games in hand on Chesham United, who occupy the last of the four playoff places as things stand.
Tiverton have barely been in the promotion picture this season and, at one stage, they were staring down the barrel of a relegation dogfight before a sudden resurgence saw them turn their fortunes around.
Three wins in eight days have seriously boosted Tiverton Town’s chances of finishing in the top half of the Southern League Premier Division South table – and co-manager Martyn Rogers is delighted about that.
Tomorrow, Tiverton can give those hopes of a top half finish a major boost by beating Harrow Borough, who are top of the bottom half section in 13th place.
These wins have come despite some of the club’s key players being absent. Tiverton even had to ‘borrow’ three players from Western League side Exmouth Town at the weekend.
Scott Rogers said: “We had six out so it was an even better result for us really. We borrowed three lads from Exmouth – Levi Landricombe, Callum Shipton and Max Gillard.
“The boys have been brilliant really and we’ll regroup and be really for Harrow Borough on Saturday.”
Meanwhile, the club has confirmed a six-month ban for striker Matt Wright ‘following an investigation by the FA into multiple breaches of FA Rule E8 (Betting) between the years 2014 and 2019’.
A statement on Tiverton’s official website read: “Investigations have recently focused on clubs at Step 3 ... and we hear that at least five clubs from our level have been the target of these inquiries, including Tiverton Town. These investigations are now complete and several players, including Matt, have received similar fines and bans.”
The statement said the club had offered the player help and it ended: with: “I’m sure everyone can agree that we look forward to seeing Matt when his ban has been completed should he choose to re-sign.”