Wrens boss Rickards slams errors, despite back-to-back wins

Rickards’ call comes despite hailing back-to-back wins in the space of four days, 3-2 over Gresley last Saturday and 3-1 at Brigg Town on Tuesday night, when all three goals conceded in those games could and should have been prevented.

The Wrens’ boss is aware that Halesowen have players who are capable of taking advantage of mistakes and hurting his side if they are allowed time and/or space around the box.

Fortunately the Wrens are beginning to look like a side capable of scoring goals having hit the net six times in the last 180 minutes of football, which has undone some of the damage at the back.

Rickards said: “This is another massive game for us against a big club with some well established and experienced players who, we know, are capable of hurting you if you allow them time around the box.

“But we are coming into the game on the back of a couple of good results ourselves, and if we can find the same sort of tempo as we found at Brigg on Tuesday night, and cut out the individual errors which led to all three goals conceded during the last two games, we should, I think, be able to take something from them.

“It was pleasing to shrug off our recent poor midweek form at Brigg on Tuesday, but because of the errors we made we did make it hard for ourselves at times. In previous weeks such mistakes have cost us points. Even against Gresley last Saturday their two goals were down to our own mistakes, but we had enough about us to manage to sneak a win, and again Brigg’s goal on Tuesday was down to an error.

“So we need to be cutting those out, because if we do we are beginning to look as if we are always capable of scoring goals.

“We had two big players out through work commitments on Tuesday in Jamie Clarke and Grant Ryan, but those who stepped up to the mark did their job. It’s a well-worn cliché about coming in and keeping your shirt, and those who came in are managing to convert chances, which breeds confidence.

“It’s not much more than a week since a run of bad results made it look like the end of our world. But suddenly, after back to back wins in the space of four days, the camp is buzzing again, and now we have to carry that into Saturday’s game.”

Tuesday night’s victory lifted the Wrens into the play-off places in Division One South, although they have played more games than anyone else in the top half of the table. Halesowen are sixth, just one point behind but with four games in hand.

Rainworth Reserves must wait until next Wednesday to fulfil their Notts FA Intermediate Cup second round tie against Notts Senior League outfit Nottingham United.

The tie was scheduled for Saturday but the re-arrangement of the first team’s home game against Halesowen Town meant the cup game had to be deferred.