Not one person at Darlaston enjoys playing at Racing Club Warwick, those feelings are only predicated by the fact we don’t ever get much from there and a fixture 95% of us had planned for 1 point at most so 3 points were a bonus in our targets.

After a couple of difficult games in the last seven days we spoke primarily on Friday and Saturday about just enjoying the day yesterday, the challenge and getting back to our basic core values. We’ve worked hard for years to be where we are and have had a really enjoyable season up-to yet, so what’s to worry about? As in reality we’re probably the team with the least pressure in the whole league - we’re not getting relegated, we have no right to be out of the bottom three and are currently sitting in the top seven with games in hand, to make the playoffs still surrounded and above clubs who are all investing heavily in a promotion bid - our only pressure is from what’s within us.

The staff worked really hard with our players this week listening to their thoughts and ensuring we knew what they were all feeling and thinking, it’s good work, the result of the feedback was very good, as a group we may have more learning and challenge ahead still, but courage, bravery and a willingness to work hard isn’t one of them.

Football is an uber emotional game and at times those emotions take control or try to, I’m conscious we can’t know what we haven’t experienced and we’re facing brand new challenges weekly then being upset with ourselves because we haven’t dealt with them perfectly. Our boys are very self-critical so it’s hugely important we relax and learn from all new experiences as quick as is practical and not worry about things we haven’t experienced.

3-0 up and having missed a penalty first half the game should have been over, it wasn’t, Racing Club Warwick scored two and with 25 minutes left it was game on, Scott had made some really positive changes at half time and The Racers front five were a right handful - we definitely needed the fourth goal to kill them off.

Positives from our end; firstly, the attitude as a group was top draw, the work in the final third was much much better as a result of some of the off field work done, defensively we we’re stoic in our defending and our midfield ran till they dropped - individually Bailey, Bish and Ryan were excellent, Stan made some really important saves and Cheza in his first game after recovering from a fractured jaw was incredible, but to be honest the rest were all 8’s, they all did what was asked of them and more.

The top nine teams are now making big moves, it’s looking like we still need 9 wins out of the last 15 games to be anywhere close to the top five so we need to keep pushing on and taking the season as far as possible, our preseason target was 40 points, yesterday we went through that with 38% of the season still to go.

We now have back to back home games the next six days, Coleshill and Lye, both teams who know all about us and both will be highly motivated.

Have a good week,

UTD

Dean.