Nick Handley believes Pontefract Collieries can cope without suspended duo Craig Rouse and Liam Radford in the next few weeks.
Nick Handley is confident Pontefract Collieries can cope without suspended strikers Craig Rouse and Liam Radford in a couple of weeks.
Rouse was sent off in the 1-0 defeat to Toolstation NCEL Division One leaders AFC Emley on Saturday, while Radford controversially saw red in the victory over Shirebrook.
Both dismissals were for a second bookable offence.
Rouse is out of the trip to Bottesford in eight days’ time. Radford misses the visit of rivals Clipstone and the tough visit to Hallam in two weeks as he was sent off earlier in the season.
“He (Radford) is a big miss, but we have a great squad,” Handley said.
“Liam will be disappointed and rightly so because the lad elbowed him and the referee should have walked him.
“We ended up being a man down and we shouldn’t have been.
“Like we have said to Liam, sometimes you have to be clever and maybe he should have gone down after being elbowed in the eye.
“His work rate is phenomenal and we’ll miss him, but we have quality in the likes of Lee Bennett, Kia (Hancock), George (Conway).
“We have got options and there are lads who can play up there.
“It is not something we are going to cry over. We are disappointed that we won’t have Radders and Rouse, but we have to keep going.”
Pontefract got their promotion bid back on track with Wednesday’s 3-1 victory over Shirebrook.
Collieries can further strengthen their hopes tomorrow as they host bottom-placed Grimsby Borough, while AFC Mansfield play Clipstone.
“There are so many twists and turns to come,” he said.
“Clipstone are coming to us in a fortnight and that will be a big game.
“We have to go to Bottesford so there are difficult games to come.
“We also have to go to Hallam on a Tuesday night and it is a difficult place to go.
“We knew it would be difficult for Mansfield a few days ago.
“Tomorrow is a good opportunity.
“A draw would be ideal between Clipstone and Mansfield, but we have to do our own thing.
“We went to Grimsby earlier in the season and we scraped a win.
“We were really poor and you have concentrate on your own team.”