Sedgley Tigers go for three in a row (From Prestwich and Whitefield Guide)

Sedgley Tigers go for three in a row

12:20pm Thursday 5th November 2009

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SEDGLEY Park Tigers head coach Rich Senior is calling on his players to build on their spectacular recent resurgence.

The Whitefield side have bounced back from a disappointing start in National League One by beating two of the top three teams in the last fortnight.

Now they go into Saturday’s game at Nuneaton with their confidence surging.

After beating third-top Launceston away a fortnight ago and then runaway leaders Esher at home last weekend, the season has suddenly taken on a different look for the Park Lane boys.

Prior to that, confidence was suspect after five defeats and just two victories in their opening seven games.

Those two successive victories sent a message to the rest of the division that Sedgley Park can beat anyone on their day.

Saturday’s last-gasp 21-20 win ended Esher’s 100 per cent record. And the Tigers can take further heart from the fact they had several players missing.

But Senior is mindful that his team have come unstuck in games they may have felt they should have won this season, and he is urging them not to let their standards slip against a Nuneaton side who go into the game third bottom.

“There is no point beating top of the league and then going down to a team at the other end of the table,” said the head coach.

“With all respect to Nuneaton, we need to back last Saturday’s performance up. We always feel we are capable of beating most sides in the league. Last week we had to play very well and we did.

“That has given us the confidence to kick on. We were without five players who would have been involved in the squad as well so it was a good day for us.”

Tigers aim to continue their upward movement, but with only one team going up this season, promotion would need a miracle.

“We have to look at getting into the top half and then the top five.

“We did not get off to a very good start and had to readdress that. But we know that if we play well and are not hit too hard by injuries we can beat most teams in the league.

“We are trying to change things here and get back to where we were a few years ago. A lot of the lads have lost a lot of games in the last two years and that will have affected confidence.

“Our last two games have given us a lot of confidence and belief and showed we have workrate, effort and spirit.”

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