Stuttering Spalding Town have been told that nothing but maximum points will do against Lincs ECB Premier League basement boys Market Rasen this Saturday.
Town, who haven’t picked up a positive result since securing a winning draw at Billingborough on May 3, have come crashing back down to earth after their stellar start to the season.
They had hoped to get back to winning ways at Grimsby on Saturday, but saw the ‘grudge match’ called off without a ball being bowled at Augusta Street.
Rob Ambrose and his side made the 130-mile round trip regardless and were left frustrated by their lack of action.
The skipper is trying to remain positive though – and expects his side to go all out for glory against winless visitors Rasen at Spalding Grammar School on Saturday (noon).
“I’m pretty sure we’d have won at Grimsby,” said Ambrose. “They were missing quite a few and we were all up for the game big time.
“It’s frustrating, but we can’t do anything about the weather. It’s the same for everyone else, but it has done us no favours.
“The rain seemed to follow us on Saturday. It wasn’t raining when we got to Grimsby, but then absolutely smashed it down and the game was called off at 1.30pm.
“We’ve been in a big slump over the last month or so after a great start – and I think we just need a win to get us going again.
“Rasen are bottom and if I’m honest we need 20 points against them.
“Nothing else will do, we’re at full strength and really have to win.”
Ambrose admits that he and his Town team-mates may have got a little carried away with their aspirations after storming into the top three in the early weeks of the campaign.
He had been targeting a top six finish after being dubbed the ‘dark horses’ for the title by many after their dominant win over Lindum in late April.
But the wicket-keeper batsmen has revised his target and is simply hoping for an improvement on last season’s tenth place.
The skipper added: “The truth is, we added three good players over the summer and they have helped bring us up to same level of the rest of the teams in the league.
“Maybe we got a bit excited by our start and our aims became too big.
“If we can finish halfway up the table this year I’ll be well pleased.
“But you never know, one big win could turn things around for us and hopefully that comes against Rasen this weekend.”
Spalding are boosted by the return of all-rounder Chris Dring, who represented the world-famous MCC team on their recent tour of Finland over the weekend.
He was part of a 13-man squad that faced the Finland national team, a Cricket Finland Chairman’s XI and the Denmark under-19 side last weekend.
