North West Counties League First Division North
Lee Ashforth says Campion are heading into a make-or-break period in their bid to reach the play-offs.
Despite suffering an almost catastrophic start to the campaign, the Bradford-based side have given themselves a chance of landing a top five place.
Campion are eighth and six points behind Bacup Borough in fifth place.
“We have lost one in nine which was the Holker game so we do seem to have turned it around,” joint manager Ashforth told Non League Yorkshire.
“We know we are at a pivotal part of the season.
“We are six points from the play-offs but eight points from the relegation spots so it is a tight league.
“I’ve said to the players that the next five or six games will define the season because we’ll either give ourselves a chance of getting to the play-offs or we’ll lose half of them and end up mid-table or lose all of them and end up near the bottom of the table.”
“You look at Bury and Golcar and they are kind of running away with it but the other three (play-offs) spaces they’re up for grabs.
“It only takes a team to go on a run for five-or-six games and you’re going to be up there.”
Campion play Pilkington on Saturday at home and their visitors occupy fourth spot.
But although Pilkington hold a play-offs place, Ashforth does not describe it as must-win game as to him points-per-game ratios are more important.
“I remember saying at the start of the season that we wanted to win the league,” he said.
“We got off to such a bad start that that hope quickly disappeared so I don’t want to stand here and say we have to win four out of six to get into the play-offs because I don’t think that’s the case.
“We have to make sure over the games we have left we take two-points-per-game.
“I say this to everyone, if over a season you’re up to two points a game you’ll end up near the play-offs.
“It doesn’t matter in the remaining games who we beat and who we draw to, we have to make sure come the end of the season we are near two points a game.
“We are a bit off that at the minute.
“We are literally mid-table because we are under a point-a-game.
“If we can get it near two we’ll be near the play-offs.
“I try and not excited about who we are playing, who we are winning against, it doesn’t matter as long as you’re picking that level of points – especially in Non League leagues.
“You can go and watch a team one week and the next week they could have five different players in.
“We play Holker away in a few weeks on a Tuesday night and I’ve no idea what kind of team we can get out for that as it is so far on a Tuesday night.”
One of the players who has been a key mastermind in the run of good form is ‘defender’ Luke Rhodes who has scored five goals over the last six weeks.
“He’s been phenomenal for us,” Ashforth said.
“He’s a centre-midfielder who we have been playing at centre-back and he’s one of the nicest lads around.
“He’s committed and he very rarely misses, touch wood.
“He came to us just before the pandemic and I think he only played in a friendly for us.
“He started this season on the bench and there was one week where he wasn’t going to play and we expected him to leave that week.
“As it turned out our centre-half got injured in training on the Wednesday and Luke started on the Saturday.
“I think if he hadn’t started on that Saturday he would have probably left.
“But he started and he’s been our player of the season so far.
“It just shows these things happen in football and I always say to players to be patient as it is a long season and injuries and suspension happen and you have to take your chance when you get it.”