TERRY CORDICE believes he might as
well quit as Faversham Town manager if he cannot motivate his
players for what promises to be a thrilling climax to the season.
Town's long-awaited top-of-the-table
clash with Premier Division leaders Lewisham Borough was called off
on Saturday because of a waterlogged pitch.
It is the THIRD time a game against
either Lewisham or fellow title contenders Stansfeld has been
postponed - and these games are now loitering with serious intent at
the back end of the campaign.
Town have seven games to play before
their destiny in this, their debut season as a re-formed club, is
sealed. Four are at home and three are away.
Cordice and his men travel to
Stansfeld next Saturday but their fate is then in the hands of the
fixture secretary. What they do know, however, is they still have to
play Lewisham, Stansfeld and Bromley Green at home as well as local
rivals Norton Sports and Sheerness East away.
It is asking alot of Town's young
side to take on and beat the best sides in the Kent County League in
what is sure to be an action-packed finale.
But boss Cordice and his assistant
Peter Holder are up for the challenge - and remain confident they
will have no trouble making sure the players are exactly the same.
Cordice admitted: "I was very
disappointed that we didn't play on Saturday as we would have given
it our all to beat Lewisham and go three points clear of them at the
top but the weather took it out of our hands.
"Now we'll just get on with it
and try our hardest to beat the Crocks this weekend.
"We play Stansfeld away next
Saturday and then it is up to the league to arrange the rest of the
fixtures, but we know we must face all the top sides in April.
"One thing is for sure, if the
lads are not up for all these games or Pete and I can't motivate
them, then we might as well pack up now.
"We'll take each game as it
comes and make sure they are fully focused and ready for the task
ahead.
"As long as we work hard and
take points out of all these games we should be ok."
Crockenhill come calling at Salters Lane on Saturday and Cordice is
hoping for revenge on a side that inflicted Town's second defeat in
three games at the start of the season.
He revealed: "I'm looking
forward to the game against the Crocks. We want three points to
avenge the 2-1 defeat we suffered last year. That was a game we
dominated but missed a host of chances.
"They had three attacks all game
and scored twice! We must make sure that doesn't happen again."
Centre-half James Holder is
recovering well from his latest bout of hamstring trouble and should
start alongside Kris Browning and Kris Parker who both took knocks
in the 2-1 win over Snodland.
New signing Nick Smith is likely to
be the only addition, coming into his first squad after missing the
trip to Snodland.
Cordice explained: "There was a
misunderstanding somewhere along the line but that has been sorted
out now. He will train this week and we hope to sign him for
Saturday's game all being well."
Cordice will assess the injury
situation before deciding whether he will make a return to the
starting line-up.
He said: "If everyone is fit
then I will probably just be on the bench."
TITLE RUN-IN: Saturday: Faversham
Town v Crockenhill. 25th March: Stansfeld v Faversham Town. To be
arranged: Home: Faversham Town v Stansfeld, Faversham Town v
Lewisham Borough, Faversham Town v Bromley Green. Away: Sheerness
East v Faversham Town, Norton Sports v Faversham Town.
*Town's game against Crockenhill
kicks off at 2.45pm on Saturday. All half-price tickets for the
Lewisham Borough game are valid this weekend.