Frustration for Wrens new boy Gill

RAINWORTH MW have signed striker Rob Gill from Evo-Stik Division One South neighbours Carlton Town.

Gill joined the Millers from Hucknall Town during the close season, and in eight starts for former Wrens coach and Glapwell manager Les McJannet’s side has found the net five times.

But he has more recently found himself sitting on the bench for the promotion-chasing Millers.

Gill signed in time to figure at home to league leaders Grantham Town on Saturday, but, like all but one of the fixtures in the division, it fell victim to a frozen pitch – the only match that survived, Romulus v Brigg Town, was on an artificial surface.

It was a frustrating postponement for the Wrens who were expecting a bumper gate with Mansfield Town having no match and a number of Stags fans having signified their intention to look in at Kirklington Road instead.

Now Rainworth must look forward to the start of manager Kevin Gee’s next block of five matches from which he has targeted two wins – and the next two games are against the two bottom sides in the division.

On Saturday they go to Shepshed Dynamo, who they beat 2-1 on the opening day of the season, and on Saturday week Quorn will be the visitors on a day when Rainworth will have something to prove, having thrown away an early 2-0 lead to lose 3-2 at Farley Way earlier in the season.

Gee is well aware that his side’s best performances have tended to be against the league’s top clubs and they have tended to fall short against their fellow strugglers, so this is a trend he will be keen to address and chalk up his two wins from these two matches.

Positive results against these two would move the Wrens further away from the relegation zone, but the two Leicestershire sides will eye their respective games against Rainworth as ones they need to win to stay within touching distance.

One side-effect of the postponement on Saturday was that skipper Steve Kennedy was due to have sat out the last of his four-match ban, but that will now be carried over to the Shepshed game.

Rainworth had been due to play a friendly against NCEL Division One high-fliers Worksop Parramore on Tuesday to give some of their returning players a taste of match action in advance of Saturday’s game, with Gill, Kennedy, Tommy Hannigan and long term injury victim Danny Simpson all likely to have figured. But in the event that game was also a casualty of the icy conditions.

Meanwhile hopes that ex-Hucknall, Alfreton and Northwich Victoria midfielder Danny Mayman would be able to play again this season have been effectively written off following the classy midfielder’s recurring back problem.