Possession is key to success, warns coach

Rainworth Miners Welfare coach Danny Peacock is blaming poor ball retention as a major cause of their disappointing run of recent results in the EVO-STIK Northern Premier League, writes Gordon Foster.

Following Tuesday night's 4-1 home defeat in First Division South of a threadbare Wrens squad at the hands of Spalding United and Saturday's 3-0 loss at Stafford Rangers, Peacock warned that much of their good play is being undone by an apparent inability to keep possession.

Peacock, pictured, guided the Wrens on Tuesday night at Kirklington Road with joint managers Ian Robinson and Gary Sucharewycz both unavailable, the latter due to the work commitments of a new job and the former through food poisoning. He was also missing a number of players with work commitments cutting an already small Wrens squad to just 12 players at kick off before a late arrival made the substitutes bench.

According the Peacock, the Wrens are inviting pressure and despite matching their promotion chasing opponents before the break, later paid the price when they ran out of steam chasing the game.

Peacock said: "It all went wrong for us with first the two gaffers and then a number of players having to pull out, so it was always going to be a backs to the wall situation. But despite the result I couldn't ask for any more of the lads who were there. They worked really hard but in the end we lacked the numbers.

"We saw pretty much the same thing at Stafford on Saturday, and while some may question whether, as a new side, we still lack a bit of match fitness, I'm not sure that is the case because everyone is still working hard off the ball. The real problem, as I see it, is our ball retention. We're not holding it up so when we lose possession it's coming straight back at us with players caught out of position.

"For 20 to 30 minutes of the second half Spalding did hold the ball and kept possession. We didn't and so we ended up chasing the game. It's something we need to put right on the training ground because we have players with the ability to do that, but our training opportunities have been limited by a glut of fixtures.

"We also need to build up the squad - even with everyone there we're down to 15 or 16, and when you have a situation like tonight it makes it very difficult. When Gary, Ian and I arrived at Rainworth we signed several players all at once, and we got to a stage where we didn't want to bring in too many more after that initial influx, so that the lads we had signed had time to gel.

"But with one or two carrying injuries, more affected by their day jobs, and then the unexpected loss of Danny Williams to AFC Mansfield, it's left us critically short and we're having to chop and change according to availability."

The Wrens are now hoping to restore their early form under new management on Saturday when they begin their FA Trophy campaign at First Division South rivals Market Drayton Town.

Peacock added: "This is a massive game for us in terms of finance with the prize money on offer and also a lucrative home tie against King's Lynn for the winners. The lads are hurting after tonight so they will be up for it, we've already beaten Drayton here in the league so it's winnable, although they will no doubt feel the same way, and it's like a cup final for us with the prospective boost to our finances.

"We hope to be able to strengthen the squad with a couple of new players before then, and we will have most of those players back who were unavailable tonight. Both sides have seen each other play, both will know what each other are about, and we will learn from the mistakes of Saturday and tonight and hope that gets us a win."

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