The pressure is very much on Spalding RFC to keep their fine run of home form in Midlands Two East (North) going this weekend.
Town are in the drop zone ahead of Saturday’s Memorial Field battle with relegation rivals Melbourne (2.15pm) – some seven points behind their visitors.
Lose, and Spalding will give one of their main rivals a serious cushion over them with just eight games left to play.
But the Elephants do have reason to be positive, despite suffering a 44-7 reverse at high-flying Market Bosworth last time out (see page 46).
They’ve won four home games on the bounce, spanning back to November 7.
Skipper Sam Cooke believes his side have what it takes to keep that hot streak going – and wants to see them climb out of the relegation zone before it gets too close for comfort in March.
He said: “I’m not too disheartened by the defeat at Market Bosworth. They are a very good side and you could see what it meant to them. They really wanted the win.
“We had a number of selection problems and it cost us, sadly.
“Melbourne is a big, big game for us. There’s no direct pressure on us to win, but that pressure is there all the same.
“I’m quietly confident that we have enough in our locker to win. We should have beaten them in the away match, but took our foot off the gas at the worst possible time.
“It’s one of those games. If we win, we pull them closer to us. But if we lose, they go a long way ahead.
“We want to get the job done in January and February. I don’t want to be scrambling for points in March.”
Spalding are hopeful that Harry Sharman and George Brown will be fit to start after missing the Bosworth defeat.
They also welcome back Tom Winch, but will once again have to do without fly-half James West.
