It’s a case of “must not lose” for Spalding United at relegation rivals Carlton Town on Saturday (3pm).
That’s the view of boss Matt Easton, who admits that the clash between two of Evo-Stik NPL East Division’s bottom four could be a big day in the race for survival.
Just four points spans Wisbech Town in 15th and Gresley in 20th, with Spalding (17th) and Carlton (18th) two of the six teams bidding to avoid the one relegation spot.
It’s shaping up to be a close-run thing for the teams involved, but Easton remains confident that his side is too good to go down.
“Saturday is a big game,” admitted the Tulips chief. “It’s very much a must not lose fixture.
“Obviously we’d love to win the game. If one side does get the win, it’ll obviously leave the other in a spot of bother.
“I don’t think it’s a game that will define the season, as I think there’s a long way to go and our destiny is in our own hands.
“The morale in the squad is still high and we’re still very upbeat. If we start taking our chances, we should have more than enough quality to get ourselves out of trouble.”
Easton is hoping that key winger Jenk Acar will be fit enough to return from a knee injury, admitting that his availability would be “huge” for Spalding’s hopes of staying up.
George Zuerner also came through Saturday’s 4-1 friendly loss at Grantham Town and is fit to return.
Archie Moyses scored in that defeat and is pushing for a start, while Leon Mettam is fit again too.
