Pritchard: keep calm and carry on

Brian Pritchard will tell his players to be patient today [Saturday] when Witton Albion seek a return to winning ways in the Evo-Stik NPL's Premier Division.

Witton ended a sequence of four winless matches by beating Burscough 4-2 away in the FA Cup's First Qualifying Round last weekend, a victory the manager hopes is repeated away at fellow Evo-Stik NPL Premier Division newcomers Ilkeston.

"It was good to get through," Pritchard told the Northwich Guardian. "Lads do get anxious when things don’t go their way, and winning always boosts confidence.

"That said, we’re doing the right things and have only lost one of the past 21 league games we’ve played. I hadn’t realised we’d gone four without win until somebody else pointed it out to me, and it’s true we probably should have won a couple more than we have done.

"Inevitably it’s taking time to adjust to a different division, which I’m sure [Ilkeston manager] Kevin Wilson has found too."

Ilkeston have won only one of their half dozen matches to date, losing four.