Big week for Town

 Source: Retford Today

 SATURDAY’S big game marks the start of a big week for Worksop Town.

A derby game against a bogey side will be followed by TWO midweek matches in the space of 24 hours, then a visit from FC United of Manchester and their hordes of fans.

Simon Clark’s Tigers travel to Matlock Town on Saturday, a side who have often given them trouble.

Tuesday brings a League Cup game at Belper Town and on Wednesday South Kirkby visit Sandy Lane in the Sheffield Senior Cup.

FC United should bring the biggest crowd of the season to Worksop the following Saturday.

Tigers are in red hot form having made it nine games unbeaten under Clark on Wednesday, when they ousted Radcliffe Borough from the FA Trophy.

But in his post-match interview with the Guardian, Clark issued a statement that may serve as a warning to the rest of the league – this Worksop Town side is not yet the finished article.

“We’ve got a lot more to come,” said the former Stamford boss.

“We need to get them on the training ground but we can’t do the sessions we want to at match tempo because we have so many games in November.”

“Tonight we’ve had Michael Jacklin out, Owain Warlow out, Jamie Jackson out with illness, Luke Sharry coming back from injury and Chris Wood playing left-back when he’s not a left-back.”

“Matlock will be a test for us, but we ought to have a full squad.”

The manager has added to the ranks this week, bringing in striker Gary King from Stamford and taking Gavin Allott on loan from Guiseley.

He paid tribute to club owner Jason Clark for allowing him to sculpt a squad that fits his needs, and the demands of the packed fixture list.

“The chairman has been magnificent,” he said. “We’ve now got a Trophy squad and a league squad.”

And he admits that he’ll have to draft in players from the ‘junior’ section to cope with next week’s midweek double header.

“The lads who start on Tuesday will come and do a cool down on the pitch on Wednesday while we’re warming up for South Kirkby,” he explained. “We’ll drag seven or eight in from the Under 19s hopefully for that game.”

“We’re out to win it, but more so it’s a great opportunity for me to see what the Under 19s are about, and it’s good for the club to have them involved.”

l For reports from the FA Trophy tie, and the replay that earned Tigers a third qualifying round clash at home to Curzon Ashton on 26th November, along with an interview with Gary King, see pages 78 & 79.

Published on Friday 11 November 2011 13:00