Matt Easton has issued a rallying cry to his walking wounded Spalding United squad ahead of what looks like being their only fixture for the entirety of October.
The Tulips make the long trip to Glossop North End on Saturday (3pm) knowing that it’ll be at least a few more weeks before they have another game in the BetVictor NPL South East Division.
After losing 5-1 at Chasetown in the Buildbase FA Trophy at the weekend, Easton admits that he was pleased to see Tuesday night’s scheduled home date against Leek Town postponed with many of his players carrying knocks.
But he wants his Tulips to roll up their sleeves and give him one last performance ahead of their enforced break – which could see them without a game until November 2.
“I think Saturday’s heavy defeat had been coming,” admitted Easton. “I’ve said it before, but we’ve got a lot of lads playing in what we call ‘the red zone’.
“We started Saturday with three subs, but one pulled out injured and another rolled his ankle in the warm-up. If we didn’t laugh, we’d all have been crying.
“Jenk Acar and Charlie Hart then picked up niggles in the game and Josh Spencer did his hamstring, while Taron Hare also hurt his head.
“That’s what happens when you ask the same players to keep playing every Saturday and Tuesday.
“I’ll make no excuses, Chasetown were better than us on the day, it just felt like everything was conspiring against us injury-wise.
“Thankfully, the Leek game was called off. I’m not sure what we’d have done if it wasn’t – it would have been four or five youngsters starting, I think.
“We should be OK for Saturday, the lads carrying knocks will have to give me one last big push and then they can rest for what will be at least two weeks.
“There’s a chance the league will rearrange a game for us, but it could be a longer break for us.
“It has almost worked in our favour, as we’ll have Jamie Jackson, Lewis Brownhill, Neal Spafford all back and the other lads will have recharged.”
Saturday’s fixture at Glossop North End looks a winnable one for the ninth-placed Tulips on paper, with the hosts struggling down in the lower reaches of the table.
Easton isn’t expecting an easy fixture, though, as he believes the men from the Arthur Goldthorpe Stadium are better than their current position suggests.
He does, however, believe that three points on the road (Glossop is a 240-mile round trip for the Tulips) would make it a great start to the season points-wise.
“I’ve seen videos of Glossop,” added Easton. “They look a good footballing side who will use their full-backs to attack and get the ball down.
“I’d expect them to be physical and am telling the lads to be prepared for a bit of a battle.
“It’s a good game for us. It gets one of our longest trips out of the way quite early in the season and on a Saturday, which is key.
“A few of the lads should have shaken off their knocks and we feel we can go there and get a result. If we do, I think that’ll make it a very good start to the season before our mini-break.”
Easton expects to have Jenk Acar, Joel Brownhill and Charlie Hart available, while Michael Duggan should return.
Ben Greenwood, Jamie Jackson, Lewis Brownhill, Archie Moyses and Josh Spencer all remain sidelined, though.
