ALCESTER Town boss James Robbins has urged his side to bounce back from the disappointment of seeing their seven-match winning run ended when they host third placed Barton United in Midland League Division Three on Saturday.
Town, having won 1-0 at former leaders FC Stratford the previous weekend, were unable to replicate their performance levels as they slipped to a 3-0 defeat at Leamington Hibernian, who moved to the top of the table as a result of their victory.
However, Robbins is keen for his seventh placed side to call on the many positives shown over recent weeks as they seek to make an immediate response.
“Barton will be another tough test for us on Saturday and we must bounce back following last week’s disappointment,” said player-manager Robbins.
“I will be looking for a positive reaction from the lads. As I said after the Leamington game, we must use that as a kick up the behind and put ourselves on another unbeaten run starting on Saturday.
“We are only just past the halfway point of the season, three points off third place and in a quarter-final of the Challenge Vase, which isn’t bad going considering the start we made to the season.
“They (Barton) are three points ahead of us sitting in third, so it is a major incentive to collect the points and a chance to overtake them. We should be in for a good game.”
Town will be without Matt Trinder who serves the second of his three-match suspension and Adam Trinder is out with a hamstring injury, but otherwise Robbins has a full squad available.
Reflecting on Saturday’s setback in very difficult conditions, Robbins was unhappy with several aspects of his side’s performance.
“We were below par and Leamington Hibs deserved to win it, no two ways about that,” said Robbins.
“There were two or three players out there who I feel did not work as hard as the others and that is hard to take considering the standards we have set these last few weeks, but that won’t be allowed to continue.
“We made poor mistakes all over the park and to be honest didn’t look a threat going forward, which is unlike us, but full credit to Hibs, they were the better side on the day.”
