There’s no room for error
Two defeats leave play-off hopes in balance
DANNY Robinson admitted that Hungerford Town have it all to do if they are to make the end-of-season play-offs in National League South.
The Crusaders looked to be in the box seat after their win at Ebbsfleet on April 2.
But that win has been followed by three straight defeats, leaving Hungerford in 11th spot and four points adrift of Havant in seventh with four games to go.
Crusaders boss Robinson said: “I am hurting.
“We deserved to get something against Oxford City on Friday, but on Monday it was a very poor performance from start to finish against Bath.
“But we are still in with a shout. “Our remit was to stay in this division for another year and we have achieved that, but we have the chance to do something special and sneak into the play-offs so it has been frustrating.
“These games will happen – my players are only human – but they have been magnificent all season and we have four games to make the playoffs.
“The defeat to St Albans knocked us a bit and some of the belief has gone out of the players.
“But we will relish the last four games of the season and whatever will be will be.”
Crusaders suffered another blow when it was revealed that striker Sol Wanjau-Smith will almost certainly miss the rest of the season with a knee injury.
And Wanjau Smith was missed in the 3-0 home defeat at the hands of struggling Bath City on Easter Monday.
A bumper crowd of 646 turned up at Bulpit Lane, but Crusaders were off the pace from the start against a side battling for league survival.
It took the Romans just six minutes to go in front when Dave Sims-Burgess netted his first goal for the club from Alex Fletcher’s low cross.
They doubled their lead on 32 minutes when Tom Smith’s 20-yard freekick gave Luke Cairney no chance in the Hungerford goal.
Crusaders’ Duane Ofori-Acheampong headed a great chance over the bar moments later, but that was a rare opening for the home side.
Bath marshalled Ryan Seager, the league’s top scorer, well throughout and Hungerford were restricted mainly to long-range efforts.
It got worse for Hungerford in the 80th minute when Matt Berry-Hargreaves brought down Ben Seymour and was shown the red card.
And six minutes later City sealed their first away league win of 2022 when Cody Cooke’s back-heel set up Elliot Frear to steer home a third goal.
Hungerford will look to bounce back in their run-in to the season, starting at Hampton & Richmond on Saturday.