Rob Ambrose accepts that his Spalding Town side face an uphill task in their derby with Market Deeping on Saturday.
Town are hoping to make it back-to-back Lincs ECB Premier League wins for the first time this season, having finally registered a victory last weekend .
Despite confidence being high after seeing off a much-fancied Sleaford side last time out, Ambrose and his men will be underdogs against fifth-placed Deeping at Spalding Grammar School (noon).
The Spalding skipper expects Deeping to be in the title mix come the end of the season, but revealed that they are a team that his side always enjoy facing.
Ambrose said: “We always look forward to playing Market Deeping. They are only down the road and it’s a big derby against a good set of lads.
“It’ll be a difficult game, though. I think Deeping are a very good side – and in Dave Gillett they have a player with more experience at this level than most.
“He’s playing very well and we’ll have to watch out for their overseas player Emile Kriek, who is also looking a real player. They’ve got young Patrick Brown bowling very fast, too.
“For me, they will be right up there at the end of the season.”
Having top scored with 42 against Sleaford in his new role as opener, Ambrose has a spring in his step this week. He’s always targeted June as a month where his side can collect points, with winnable games against Skegness (away), Grimsby (home) and Louth (away) to come.
The wicket-keeper/batsman reckons his charges do have a chance of winning Saturday’s derby, but isn’t placing too much emphasis on the showdown. That’s because he still feels that just five wins should be enough to keep Spalding in the Lincolnshire big time.
“I’ve told the lads we need to go unbeaten in June,” joked the experienced Spalding skipper. “No, the aim remains to win five games – which should be enough to stay up.
“Saying that, there have been some funny results this season – Grimsby battering Bracebridge Heath on Saturday, for example. Maybe that’ll make a mockery of my prediction, but I stand by it.
“We have to be realistic. We’ve got a very talented bunch of lads here at Spalding, but we’re in an equally tough league.
“We’re not expecting to go on a big winning run just because we’ve won one match. But of course, the aim is to go out and beat Deeping on Saturday.
“We’re capable of doing that and we want to get off the bottom of the table. But anything is possible in this league.”
Spalding are without talented duo Josh Newton and Dan Millgate once again, while Henry Charlton remains unavailable.
