John Chand reckons that Holbeach United can use Saturday’s UCL Premier Division fixture at Newport Pagnell Town as something of a yardstick in their season.
The Tigers will make the 160-mile round trip to Willen Road in second place in the table, but a win at one the toughest venues the fixture list can throw up will give them renewed confidence in what is shaping up to be the tightest title race in years.
Co-boss Chand, who has won the UCL Premier Division before, is more than happy with the position he and joint chief Graham Drury find themselves in.
But he’s expecting a tough test against ninth-placed Pagnell (3pm) as a trip to title rivals Yaxley looms large on Tuesday night (7.45pm).
“I’m really happy with the position we find ourselves in,” said the 2013 title winner. “But Newport Pagnell away is always a tricky one.
“You know what you’re going to be up against. They’ll be strong, physical and in our faces.
“They’re a team that will take points off a lot of the title hopefuls – Rushden and Diamonds struggled there, for example.
“I always look forward to seeing (Pagnell boss) Darren Lynch, he’s one of the managers I get on best with. But we’ll be going all out to get a win, make no mistake. If we can win there, it’ll be a really good result for us and could shape our season.”
Meanwhile, Chand has admitted that he and co-boss Drury are looking to settle the squad down again after making a few changes in recent weeks.
St Neots Town loanees David Deenye and Ed Adjei have both returned to their parent clubs after short spells at Carter’s Park, while Ben Brown – a member of Chand’s title-winning team – has returned to the club on a short-term deal from Lincoln United.
The central defender’s return to Holbeach is a move that Chand would like to make permanent, but he’s not expecting many other players to join the star-studded squad.
He added: “Ben’s a player I’d always want in my team. He’ll always perform at a consistently high level and I know what I’ll get from him.
“If I could get a team of 11 Ben Browns, I’d be a very happy man. That being said, it’s important that we get a settled side now.
“We’ve been fortunate to name very strong squads this season, but that isn’t sustainable for an entire campaign. For example, the St Neots lads have gone back, but we’ll retain their UCL registrations.”
Skipper Jamie Stevens won’t feature after completing his move to Spalding United. Defender Danny Spencer should skipper the side.
