Toolstation Perks targets mid-table finish for Bris after improved campaign
BRISLINGTON boss Lee Perks has challenged his players to show they can be a force to be reckoned with over the second half of a rollercoaster Toolstation Premier Division programme.
The Ironmould Lane outfit have largely demonstrated more competitive characteristics to the one that struggled to stave off relegation last season, one that came to a head when their exasperated leader announced he would be quitting on the cusp of the campaign’s conclusion.
His appetite for football restored, manager and team came out fighting at the start of 2019-20. Although they have tailed off from bright beginnings to find themselves 14th approaching tomorrow’s testing away-day in Devon to confront Buckland Athletic, Perks feels his men have it in them to push for a respectable mid-table finish.
He said: “Overall, I’d take this situation over the one we experienced last season. I’m generally happy, although I would like to see us ‘turn up’ better for games against the lower-positioned teams.
“It sums up our mentality and football in general that we beat the likes of Bridgwater and Westbury, yet lose to Chipping Sodbury and Wellington competing at the bottom end.
“It shows there are no easy games, but you do expect to do better against the lower-ranked sides when you’ve done well against the higher teams.”
Perks added: “I’m looking for us to at least double our points total of 27.
“We’re currently embroiled in some tough away trips to Devon, having gone there to play Tavistock and Plymouth Parkway in quick succession. Now we go there again to play Buckland.
“We were pretty depleted at Tavistock with only 12 players after three had pulled out late. But the lads put a real shift in and it was a shame the one goal that beat us, just before half-time, was such a soft one, although in fairness our young ‘keeper Ben Payter was fantastic as our man of the match.
“Ben also saved a penalty in our latest game with (second-placed) Parkway. We had 13 players available for that one, yet did well to hold them to 1-1 at half-time before losing 3-1 having been under the cosh.
“All in all, the players are giving more than they did last season, but it concerns me that commitment levels have dropped off more recently.
“I’ve told the lads that now these big trips are almost out of the way they need to improve on that if we’re to push up the table again,” said Perks, who is without unavailable central midfielder Mike Rimmer, pictured, for the Buckland game.
Cadbury Heath are also eyeing an upturn in fortunes, starting with tomorrow’s home clash with fellow strugglers Wellington.
The hosts, who head into the Springfield match three places and 11 points in front of their second-bottom guests, are without experienced strikers Matt Huxley and Simon McElroy, although defender Ashley Kendall should return after illness.
“Simon is unavailable and Matt sustained a medial ligament (knee) injury on a muddy pitch at Bradford Town last weekend and could now be absent for several weeks,” said boss Andy Black.
“But we’re working hard to try to turn things around. The gulf between the top ten teams and those beneath is quite big. There are five or six of us down there sucked into it and it’s tough.
“We do have some good players and, while injuries and absenteeism is a factor, we’re also lacking experience out there. At times we’ve been steamrollered – men against boys - but if these young lads stay positive and stick with it, I’m convinced they can get their rewards and we can dig our way out of a challenging situation.”
Bitton, meanwhile, aim to keep their winning form of late flourishing
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I’m generally happy, although I would like to see us ‘turn up’ better for games against the lower-positioned teams
at home to Westbury in the Prem tomorrow, buoyed by a 2-1 come-from-behind midweek home win over Hellenic Premier side Tuffley Rovers in the third round of the GFA Trophy, thanks to Harrison Kyte’s two secondhalf strikes.
Jay Murray’s 39th-minute goal for Clevedon Town, which reduced their arrears to 2-1, couldn’t prevent his travelling team tumbling out of the Les Phillips Cup 3-1 at Tavistock in Wednesday’s second-round tie.
Bristol Telephones hope a frustrating raft of fixture call-offs of late can end satisfactorily as they prepare to take on Almondsbury on their travels for a vital First Division basement collision.
Despite still propping up the rest of the table, Phones have been able to bask in the afterglow of an 8-3 home victory over Hellenic Premier Division visitors Brimscombe and Thrupp a fortnight ago in the second round of the GFA Trophy. That feat capped a much-improved spell for the Stockwood Lane battlers who had lost only 5-4 at leaders Longwell Green Sports and beaten Hengrove Athletic 3-0 in their previous two outings.
Co-manager Dave Johnson said: “Morale is so much better now and it’s like the Telephones of old. It’s not even as though we’ve made loads of new signings as we haven’t. It’s just that Shaun (joint boss Collins) and Jack (coach Richardson) moved personnel around and tweaked a few things and it’s paid off brilliantly. But we have to continue in that vein now.”
Oldland Abbotonians had an impressive 4-0 win against Prem side Chipping Sodbury in the GFA Challenge Trophy in midweek, thanks to Josh Dempsey’s double, Lucas Hart’s edge-of-box opener and Frank Taylor-Fox’s fine lofted finish.
Assistant boss Steve Cains said: “We performed well in tricky conditions, made all the better as we had several regular starters out, such as our skipper Scott Robson, Cash Vinall, Owen Hargreaves and Casey Woodman. Our new signing Harry Pruett was also cup-tied. But it enabled us to get some minutes in for the wider squad who all did well. We came off the back of two straight defeats, so it was good to get back to winning ways.”
The battle at the top of the First Division intensified on Tuesday night as leaders Longwell Green Sports were beaten 4-0 at Wells City, who moved into second.