Toolstation NCEL Premier Division
Hemsworth Miners Welfare manager Wayne Benn
Wayne Benn has warned his Hemsworth Miners Welfare players that they are “playing for their futures” at the MDC Community Stadium.
And Benn believes that if his troops listen to his stark warning and get their form back, the Wells could finish in the top ten during their first ever season in the Premier Division.
“We have had one eye on next season and where we may need to strengthen and the current players have been told in no uncertain terms that I’m not happy with their form since January,” Benn told Non League Yorkshire.
“I know the quality in my changing room and they have all been underperforming. We have done nothing but talk and talk for the last few weeks and ultimately they have to step forward and get that form back.
“I’ve told every single one of them that whether they have been at the club 15 years or five minutes that they’re playing for their futures.
“I want to see in their performances that they want to stay with us and that’s the message we have been sending. We need to be better and should be better.
“We have to use the Harrogate win (on Tuesday night) as a springboard and we have eleven games to secure a really respectable league position. We could still finish sixth or seventh if we get on a good run.
“We never really set any targets, but if someone had said we would finish eighth, ninth in our first season at this level, we would have taken that.”
The Wells have won just three of their 13 league games – which leaves them in 13th, albeit with games-in-hand on the teams around them.
Hemsworth arrested a slump of three straight defeats with the 4-2 victory at Harrogate Railway on Tuesday night.
Roy Fogarty gave Railway an early lead after a mistake from Wells goalkeeper Sam Leigh. Benn was happy with side’s performances, but said the poor start was a repeat showing of recent matches.
“In current form, it was all about getting a win,” he said.
“It was a difficult pitch and we couldn’t play football. We did try to and we played some good stuff at times and I think if we had been more clinical we would have won by a wider margin.
“But I don’t want to be overcritical because we haven’t had the best of times recently. We were all delighted with the victory.
“We didn’t get off to the best of starts and it was down to an individual error which has been happening too much. Mistakes aren’t been learned from and that’s frustrating because we are making life difficult for ourselves.
“When you’re not in form, the last thing you want to be doing is chasing games. Alright we came on top in the end, but we have to stop giving ourselves mountains to climb.”
Hemsworth host Handsworth Parramore tomorrow.