Eccleshill United manager Mark Greaves (right) won an expensive chef’s knife at Non League Yorkshire’s charity poker tournament. Picture: White Rose Photos
Mark Greaves expects Eccleshill United to start showing “consistency” now that their run of midweek games have almost finished.
Eccleshill only have one more midweek game to play before Christmas – the League Cup trip to Thackley in December – and Greaves believes it will help his side as a tough schedule has taken its toll.
Although really happy with their points tally, Greaves says that playing Saturday-Tuesday/Wednesday since the start of the Toolstation NCEL Division One season has been tiring.
“We’re probably where we targeted to be,” Greaves told Non League Yorkshire.
“We said we would like to be mid-table so we aren’t worrying about the bottom two.
“We are in a good position where we are achieving that right now.
“We are a little bit up-and-down. Although we got beat on Saturday by Mansfield, we played really well.
“Whereas against Teversal we didn’t play so well. It is a young side so this is why we are probably seeing performances going up and down.
“It is about getting that consistency and getting the players used to this level.
“Apart from Thackley in the cup, we aren’t playing Saturday-Tuesday now so that will probably help us because it takes a lot out of them.”
Taking out the 1-1 draw with Teversal, Greaves has been pleased with his week.
Last Friday, he finished eighth in Non League Yorkshire’s charity poker tournament and went home with his prize of an expensive chef’s knife.
He didn’t need to throw it around the following day as his side gave a good account against league leaders AFC Mansfield in the 3-1 defeat.
He added: “Friday night was a really good night, I really enjoyed it.
“We (Greaves and assistant Hayden Lobley) left at I think ten past ten. The wife’s got the knife, she keeps it in the draw. I don’t bring that with me.
“Saturday we lost, but we didn’t deserve to lose. I’m not saying we deserved to win, but we definitely didn’t deserve to lose.
“They only scored the third in the 93rd minute and in the second half we were the better side.
“That was pleasing that we showed we can match a side that will probably be in the top four.
“On Wednesday night, we had loads of chances.
“We didn’t come in at half-time with as much as a lead as we should have done.
“The wind dropped in the second half and we got the benefit, but at 1-0 they were always in with a chance and we missed a couple of one-on-ones.
“A second goal would have killed them off so at home it is two points dropped.”
Eccleshill visit Shirebrook tomorrow.