Crusaders saved from Cureton threat to play-off hopes

Hungerford face St Albans in must-win clash

HUNGERFORD TOWN have been saved from the possibility of former Reading favourite Jamie Cureton returning to Berkshire to haunt Crusaders' play-off chances after the striker joined Farnborough Town in an end of season loan deal.

It was St Albans who handed Hungerford a 5-0 beating in November that had the effect of sparking Crusaders’ run into the play-off zone, that now depends upon winning on Saturday and then continuing with a good result at Poole Town in midweek in what is Hungerford’s game in hand on the team around them.

"Let's let’s face it, this is a must-win for us,"said Hungerford manager Bobby Wilkinson.If we win, we can go to Poole knowing that if we can pull off a win there, we will only be two points behind. But if we lose and the others win, then I think the gap will be too much for us.

“But we've got a bit of experience at being in this position at this stage of the season. I don’t like to put the boys under pressure, but deep down they know that we have to win this game on Saturday to give ourselves a chance.

“The biggest plaudit I can give these boys is that we don’t have to win to stay up in this league, but to try and win promotion to an even higher league. And who would have thought that at the start of the season?”

Hungerford are missing striker Stefan Brown for up to four weeks after he aggravated a hamstring injury in the recent win over Weston Super-Mare and Wilkinson admitted: “He is a big loss to us. He came back from injury and in the two games he played, he scored the winner each time.”