Toolstation NCEL Premier Division
Maltby Main manager Spencer Fearn
Let’s put the first half of the season behind us and let’s finish the campaign on a high.
That’s the message from Maltby Main manager Spencer Fearn who now believes his squad is more-or-less at full strength.
Maltby had hoped to build on last season’s magnificent seventh-placed finish, but a poor campaign so far – caused by injuries, according to Fearn – has seen Maltby fighting it out in the lower reaches of the table.
Now after two consecutive victories, Fearn is looking upwards.
“No disrespect to the lads who represented earlier in the season, but we have a lot of key players back now,” Fearn told Non League Yorkshire.
“Lewis Bemrose, Cam Rigby, Steve Hopewell, Joe Davies – people who make a real difference – are back. We have now have the team which finished so strongly last year back together.
“It has been a long haul of the season because of the injuries. We went to Liversedge four weeks ago and we had 12 players out. The squad has been decimated at times so it has been nice to get the lads back.
“I’m happy with the last two performances. The club has been unbelievably supportive. Up until last Saturday we had been on a run of one win in nine and some people can get a bit concerned about that.
“But they are football people and they understand how tough it has been this year. We have 14 games left now and we just want to press on.
“Ten of them are home games so we need to make that count and have a strong finish.”
The wins at Athersley Rec and then Hemsworth Miners Welfare in midweek have taken Main to 16th.
Maltby face Hemsworth (at Muglet Lane) again tomorrow, a few days on since the 4-2 win in Fitzwilliam.
“It was a great start with Stevie Hopewell’s goal, but then we have conceded a silly free kick,” said Fearn, looking back at the victory.
“The kid put it in the top corner, but we went 2-1 up. We ran away with it in the second half, but then they pegged us back to 4-2 with ten minutes to go.
“You’re thinking ‘crikey’, especially when a header went wide from four yards. The lads did great though, they really grafted and deserved the three points.”