Robinson stays positive despite reversals

Joint manager Ian Robinson remains optimistic that Rainworth Miners Welfare can retain their EVO-STIK Northern Premier League status despite their slide into the drop zone, writes Gordon Foster.

The Wrens fell to next-to-bottom in the First Division South table on Saturday night following their 1-0 home defeat at the hands of play-off hopefuls Gresley while fellow strugglers Kidsgrove Athletic and Market Drayton Town have started to string a run of wins together.

Robinson, pictured, knows that if Rainworth are to haul themselves clear then they must embark on a similar run to their rivals. But after seeing his side shorn of three of the most experienced players come close to holding Gresley to a draw before going down to a single goal, he believes his team of exciting youngsters have it in them to get themselves out of trouble.

Robinson lost three key players - central defender Tommy Hanningan who's left for big-spending NCEL neighbours AFC Mansfield while fellow centre-back Dan White and skipper Emeka Nwadike were both absent though pressing family commitments.

Without these lynch-pins he expected his side to struggle against Gresley but he was encouraged by the account the rest of the squad gave in a game he knows they could have even won after wasting at least one gilt-edged chance.

Robinson said: "Goals change games. We miss that one, and they go down to the other end soon after and score a set piece. We have an exciting young squad, very talented, and we didn't miss those three players as much as I expected.

"I thought our performance, once we settled, was outstanding, we put them under some pressure late on, and we were worth at least a point. But this is not the first time I have said that we need to turn good performances into positive results.

"I hope that these lads can do enough to keep us in this division, then with the benefit of a good pre-season, they will be ready to go next year."

"They will learn a lot from the situation we are in, and as for me it's not the first time that I've been in this position with a club. When I came here we had just one point and were suffering heavy defeats on a regular basis, we're now on 21 which still isn't enough, but we've competed well in the majority of those games.

"I believe we will pick up results, but the question will be whether we can pick up enough of them to keep us up."

Looking forward to their weekend trip to Loughborough Dynamo, Robinson added: "It's been a strange season for them, and I'm not sure what to expect except a close game, because the majority of our game are close, and I expect us to take something from it, because I say that every week.

"No-one expected us to get anything from Gresley, but we came close to nicking something from them. The young lads are learning quickly, and I want to be here next season to work with them.

"So we'll continue to work up to the end of the season, hope it will be enough to keep us up, and then start again next year with the benefit of a proper pre-season, which we certainly didn't have for this year."

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