The Voice of Spalding and South Holland
An injury crisis and fixture pile-up is forcing Holbeach United player/boss Tom Roberts back into the transfer market.
The Tigers chief admits that his side are “running on empty” as they enter what is traditionally the toughest part of the season – the run up to Christmas.
Holbeach haven’t got a free midweek until the end of November, with ten matches to squeeze in over the next month.
To make matters worse, striker Josh Ford has suffered a suspected broken foot, full-back Jonny Allen is struggling with a knee problem and Stacy Cartwright is still sidelined with a long-term back problem.
That leaves Roberts thin on the ground ahead of Saturday’s ChromaSport UCL Premier Division trip to Rothwell Corinthians (3pm). That’s a fixture that is likely to be pretty feisty, given the infamous abandonment last season.
Rothwell were leading 4-1 before an injury to Holbeach’s Nick Jackson forced the game to be controversially abandoned after 73 minutes.
Roberts said: “Rothwell is a very hard place to go at the best of times. We know that having had to go there twice last season.
“I’ll be honest, a few of the lads are running on empty – and we have a big pile up of games over the next month.
“I just don’t know why we keep being given midweek games, it’s making life hard.
“Fordy looks to have broken his foot and Jonny is struggling due to the heavy workload, having returned from long-term injury. Stacy is still not fit, Tyler Wright is not 100 per cent and Ollie Pinner isn’t yet ready. I’ve had to make a few approaches for players and hopefully we’ll be able to add a few.
“We’re in the toughest part of the season now and we’re a bit disjointed. But we need to keep picking up points.”
The Tigers follow their Rothwell trip with a Carter’s Park derby with in-form Deeping Rangers on Wednesday night (7.45pm).
Roberts added: “Deeping are playing very well at the moment. It’s a cliché, but form goes out of the window in a local derby.”
