Wrens are still ready after reverses

Rainworth Miners Welfare are ready for a tough start to the new EVO-STIK League campaign, writes Gordon Foster.

The Wrens kick off the new campaign on Saturday at Leek Town, among the favourites for promotion, and follow that up on Tuesday with their first home encounter against Mickleover Sports - another side expected to be in the mix next April.

The Kirklington Road club had enjoyed a decent pre-season build-up until losing a local derby at NCEL Division One Clipstone a fortnight ago in what was to have been their last pre-season fixture. After that, a further game was arranged in a bid to restore confidence at home to Central Midlands outfit Bilsthorpe but last Thursday's match backfired as the visitors won 2-0.

Assistant manager Dean Short admits the reverses have not had the best effect on the players' self-belief but insists pre-season results are not always the best guide when the action proper starts.

Short said: "Yes, if I'm honest it will be a tough start for us, but in the training sessions since the Bilsthorpe game we have tried to put right where we think we are going wrong. It doesn't get much harder than Leek and Mickleover in quick succession, but all we can do is to take it one game at a time."

"We'd had a fairly good pre-season until the final couple of games, but nothing is won or lost in these matches, as results affecting other local teams last weekend showed."

Player-manager Scott Rickards will be a non-starter for the Leek clash as he serves out the last of a three-match suspension left over from the end of last season.

Short believes his absence from the pitch will be a big loss and he added: "It's a blow not having Scott on the park and he'll be missed. But someone can and will step up to do the job he would have been doing. Other than that, we should have pretty much a full squad to pick from, so we hope we can pinch a goal there and maybe spring a surprise."