Handsworth youngsters to get chance – Dodsworth

Toolstation NCEL Premier Division 

Handsworth joint manager Jason Dodsworth

Jason Dodsworth says Handsworth intend to field more of their promising youngsters before the end of the season.

With six games to go, apart from an outside chance of the top five, Handsworth’s have nothing to play for.

So the Ambers are likely to tap into their successful County Senior League reserves and under 21s to give their young guns experience of their NCEL.

But Dodsworth warned that Handsworth won’t be treating the final six matches as dead rubbers.

“If you look through our side there’s a lot of young players in there already,” Dodsworth told Non League Yorkshire.

“I don’t think people realise how young the squad is.

“People like Jack Harrison who has been great this season is 21-year-old.

“Noah (Flint) came in from the under 21s for the Garforth game and had a great game.

“Every-time we have called him in he’s always done a great job and he’s definitely one for the future.

“The reserves and under 21s have some really good players (and because we can’t go up or down) it is chance to play them.

“But you can’t too many in at the same time at this level and we still want to win every game.

“We don’t want the season to peter and lads to think it doesn’t matter.

“It means a lot to me, Aiden (Spowage) and Louis (Axcel), the chairman and the club.

“There’s people who are following us around and paying their money to watch us so we don’t want to let them down.

“We want to give the best performances we can.

“The top five is probably hard to reach now but we’re going to look to win every game between now and the end of the season.

“That’s all we can do.

“Teams around us are going to drop points.”

Handsworth youngster Noah Flint

Noah Flint is the latest youngster to break into the first team.

He was an unused substitute in the 8-0 demolition of Thackley before starting at Garforth Town on Tuesday night and Dodsworth says the midfielder has huge potential.

“Players are sometimes disappointed when they don’t get on,” he said.

“Noah was disappointed on Saturday when he didn’t get on.

“But we had a chat with him and hopefully he sees that it is about the bigger picture and not just about one game or a couple of games.

“Noah is probably one of those who will be in the first team squad for the majority of next season.

“Not everyone (looks at the bigger picture) and that’s the problem with some young players.

“A lot of them want to run before they can walk.”

Handsworth were beaten at Garforth by James Burgess’ wonder goal deep into injury-time in midweek and Dodsworth admitted his men were unfortunate.

“100% a foul in the build-up in my opinion,” he said.

“He has gone through the back of Jack Harrison on the halfway line and it is a clear push in the back.

“But you can’t rely on things like that and we couldn’t anything about the goal.

“It is one of them – he probably scores 1 out of 100 of them.

“Garforth are a good and big side.

“Going there with a few bodies missing like Mitch Dunne, you have to rely on a bit of luck and heroic performances.

“I thought every people was fantastic.

“A draw would have been a fair result.

“They penned us back for the whole of the second half and they’re good at what they did.”

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