Sports boss confident his side will turn things round soon

The city side have suffered defeats in four different competitions during October with their only positive result being a Southern League Division One Central draw at Barton Rovers. Even that ranked as something of a disappointment, though, as they conceded a late goal when leading.

Admittedly two of those losses were inflicted by higher-level sides – King’s Lynn in the League Challenge Cup when Dean fielded a much-changed team and Chorley in the FA Cup – but an FA Trophy exit at the hands of fellow Step 4 side Cambridge City and a 1-0 league loss at lowly Aylesbury last Saturday mean Dean wants an upturn in form.

And he is looking for a response when Sports travel to Midlands side Coleshill this Saturday (3pm) – especially with a series of tough tests against fellow promotion contenders such as Thame, Corby and Bedford looming large on the horizon next month.

“We’ve come through difficult spells in the past - especially last season when bottom of the league in January - so I’m certainly not worried,” insisted Dean. “But, on the other hand, I am also well aware of the fact that we need to snap out of this little run as quickly as we can.

“I think there is a bit of a hangover from our great win at Boston United in the FA Cup last month and we’ve also been hit hard by injuries.

“For example we’ve got five central midfield players at the club and they were all out for the Trophy game against Cambridge City.

“Going out of that competition was still disappointing and we also had no excuses for being beaten at Aylesbury in the league last Saturday.

“We were very poor, but I think Aylesbury were even worse yet their only real chance ended up in the back of the net and winning the game.

“They have a new manager in and they grafted for him at a time when their backs are against the wall. Our boys need to learn from the mentality Aylesbury showed and put it into our own performances.

“If we win our games in hand we will go joint top of the table, but we need to actually go out there and do it, and I feel sure we have the characters in the dressing room to turn it around.”

Sports also have Mark Jones out suspended currently and are working hard to draft in a new striker ahead of Saturday.

Yaxley picked up a welcome Division One Central win last weekend when beating Didcot Town in a seven-goal thriller at In2itive Park.

The Cuckoos recovered from being 2-0 down to triumph 4-3 thanks to goals from Tom Waumsley, Kyle Nolan, Dan Cotton and Charley Sanders.

Andy Furnell’s side go to another Step 4 side, Kidsgrove Athletic, this Saturday in the FA Trophy.