Blues are on their guard

Newbury won't take strugglers lightly

NEWBURY BLUES will be wary of a group of fighting Swans when they take on bottom of the table Swanage and Wareham at Monks Lane on Saturday.
Without a win until December 12, the seasiders have since chalked up two out of three, albeit both at home against fellow strugglers Reading and inconsistent Maidenhead to raise hopes of mounting a South West One East survival bid.
“We have got to be wary,” said head coach Lee Goodall. “They have badged it as a great escape and are looking to put together a run of wins.
“We are not treating it as if we are playing the bottom club, but as if it is Towcestrians, or Swindon, Witney or whoever is coming to our ground and will give them respect.
“If we go into this with the wrong mindset we could end up on the wrong end of the result.”
January is a key month for Blues’ prospects after turning the year in fifth spot and climbing a place on the back of last week’s win at Wycombe.
“On reflection, we fell just short of the points target we set for the end of the year,” said Goodall, “but to end the year in fifth place in a
reasonably strong position and then to start 2016 with a good win, we’re happy.
“But January, with three games away and two at home will
determine where we are potentially going to finish and if we get through those, we have a run of six home games in the last eight when we can still mount a challenge.”
Blues have been assisted by managing to keep a fairly stable squad, boosted by the return from New Zealand of Jack Walsh and this week by the return of Robbie
Drysdale, Joe Pigott and Chris Guyatt, all of whom missed the Wycombe trip.