Rawlinson feels it’s time for Spalding United to step up and put relegation fears to bed

Chris Rawlinson has challenged his Spalding United side to end any lingering relegation fears they may over the next three games.

The 15th-placed Tulips begin a sequence of matches against teams currently below them in the Evo-Stik NPL First Division South table with a home date against Market Drayton Town on Saturday (3pm).

Spalding are currently seven points clear of rock-bottom Gresley, who occupy the sole relegation spot this season.

Rawlinson knows that a haul of at least seven points against Market Drayton, Sheffield FC (March 3) and Kidsgrove Athletic (March 10) will essentially see them safe for another season – and he wants his players to step up to the plate.

“It’s a huge game for us,” said the Tulips chief. “If we can get three points, it will begin to make it very difficult for those sides below us to catch up.

“I know I’ve come out and said recently that we are looking up the table. That’s our outlook.

“But I’m also a realist – we need to go out there and get the points to keep us in this league.

“The next three matches are against teams below us in the table and we need to be looking at getting seven or nine points from them.

“We’ve got a real chance now to tie things up and make sure the last ten games or so aren’t a real struggle.

“We’ve got a lot of players here that have that extra bit of quality.

“I’m not going to name names, but it’s time a few of them stepped up to the plate and started delivering.

“They’ve got decent reputations in non-league and they need to start showing why.”

Saturday’s opponents Market Drayton are 19th in the table and haven’t won since New Year’s Day.

They’ve played three times in February and haven’t scored, shipping ten goals in the process.

Spalding will be hoping to pile more pressure on them, with Michael Duggan and Ben Davison returning and Lincoln United loanee Luke White joining up with the squad.

Conor Marshall (knee) could join the suspended Gary King on the sideline, though.

Rawlinson added: “We need to stick together and get the job done. Market Drayton will be no walkover – they’ll be looking at us as a side they can beat and will want to drag us into the scramble at the bottom.”