Hallam boss Ryan Hindley
Hallam have set themselves up to have a good second half to the Toolstation NCEL Division One season, according to Ryan Hindley.
Hallam are hot on the heels of sixth-placed Penistone Church ahead of the Boxing Day ding-dong with Worsbrough Bridge at Muglet Lane.
The Sheffield-based club are yet to lose on the road in the league and that fact has been a key factor behind their high position.
Only Hemsworth, Bottesford, Yorkshire Amateur, Hull United and Eccleshill United have taken three points against Hallam.
“I’d reflect on it as we have only deserved to lose one game and that was against Yorkshire Amateur because we just did not turn up,” Hindley told Non League Yorkshire when asked how he will reflect on the season during his Christmas dinner tomorrow.
“Maybe we deserved a point against Hull United. I thought we murdered Eccleshill, whereas against Bottesford we were 2-0 up.
“I’ll sit there thinking that we have let ourselves down a little bit in certain games.
“However, to go 13 games unbeaten away from home, you have to take your hat off to the lads because it is them who do it, not me.
“I pick the team, but it is the boys who have been phenomenal. We have all the big teams to play away which excites and we also have a lot of big game players to come back.
“We are in great position and with no disrespect to the next three teams we play, the next three games are all winnable games if we are to mount a serious challenge for the play-offs or for second place which I think is still available.
“In terms of the next three games we have to get nine points.”
Hallam go into their clash with Worsbrough on the back of the draw at AFC Emley – a match that was marred by the red cards to Danny Mullooly and Elliott Simpson.
Discipline was a major problem for Hindley’s side at the backend of last season, but the Hallam boss is content with his team’s conduct since August.
He added: “We love a red card, but we have improved massively with our discipline compared with last year.
“You might not think that, but we were getting four or five yellow cards a game. Now we’re averaging maybe one or two yellow cards a game.
“You can always improve, but if you get booked for a tackle I can live with it. It is the petulance that I can’t live with.”