The Voice of Spalding and South Holland
Seb Hayes has called on his Holbeach United players to re-produce their best performance of his reign at Wellingborough Town this weekend.
After seeing Friday night’s trip to Peterborough Northern Star called off due to a waterlogged pitch, the Tigers should be fresh for Saturday’s ChromaSport UCL Premier Division game at The Dog and Duck (3pm).
Having excelled in their last outing, when they beat Eynesbury Rovers 2-0, boss Hayes is expecting to see more of the same in Northamptonshire.
But he’s told his charges that 12th-placed Wellingborough will punish them if they’re not on their game.
The Tigers boss said: “They (Wellingborough) may be struggling in mid-table, but their recent form has been very good.
“They are one of those sides that can surprise you. If we don’t go there and replicate our performance against Eynesbury, they will be in our faces and will make life very hard for us.
“For us, the challenge remains the same. If we put the work in and play like I know we can, we will go there and win.
“But if the workrate and attitude isn’t right, Wellingborough are good enough to cause us trouble and turn us over.
“It’s all about going there with the right frame of mind. If we do, I’m confident in my team’s ability to get three points.”
Hayes’ Holbeach will have to do without key duo Tommy Treacher (injured) and Ollie Pinner (away), while Dan Jenkins (knee) remains sidelined with an injury that rules him out for the rest of the campaign.
Tiago Dias, the teenager signed on-loan from St Ives Town, has returned to his parent club and won’t be returning before the transfer deadline at the end of the month.
Hayes admits that he is looking at bringing in a few fresh faces, but insists that they’ll need to be players he considers “long-term investments” for him to swoop.
“I’d like one or two,” admitted the former Huntingdon Town chief. “But we won’t make signings for the sake of it.
“Anybody that we do bring in will be with a long-term plan in mind.
“Obviously, you can never guarantee that players will stay with you, but that’s the commitment we’ll be looking for.”
Saturday’s game at Wellingborough is actually the first meeting of the two sides this season, with the Doughboys scheduled to visit Carter’s Park on what currently stands as the final day of the season (April 29).
The Tigers’ trip to Northern Star has also been rearranged for Saturday, April 22 (3pm).
