No second chances: Shaw Lane Aquaforce boss Craig Elliott has called for one final push from his players for the decisive match with Knaresborough Town tonight
Craig Elliott has called for one final push from his players as Shaw Lane Aquaforce prepare for the biggest night in their short history.
A win or draw against Knaresborough Town in their final game of the season at Shaw Lane tonight will secure promotion to the Toolstation NCEL Premier Division.
Cleethorpes Town are up after Bottesford Town could only draw at Dronfield Town last night and a point will be good enough for Aquaforce tonight due to their superior goal difference.
A defeat would mean that Bottesford would only need to win at Grimsby Borough on Saturday to take second spot and Elliott is urging his players to finish the job.
“We just have to handle the pressure,” he said.
“We have got to win and get promoted. It is not going to be easy because Knaresborough are a good team.
“At least we have a chance, that’s the key. We have a home match against a good team and we’ll give it all we have got.
“No regrets will be part of the team-talk and that’s sort of been the basis of every game in the past six or seven matches.
“We have always been playing catch-up. When I came in we were ten points behind Bottesford and we have been clawing that back and now it is in our hands.
“Finally we have the chance to do it.”
Shaw Lane were fearing the worst on Tuesday night when they were trailing local rivals Hemsworth Miners Welfare 3-2 as the game ticked over into injury-time.
A dramatic own goal rescued a point in the 95th minute and even Elliott admitted that he believed all hope was lost.
“I thought we had missed our opportunity to score,” he said.
“We had a couple cleared off the line and I thought that was it. That’s why you take the positives.
“We even hit the crossbar in the last moment of the match so it is what it is.
“You have to give Hemsworth credit because they came here with a lot of young lads and played really well.”
Midfielder Lee Swift is expected to miss tonight’s match after going off against Hemsworth just eight minutes in with a hamstring strain.
Striker Ash Flynn is also not available.