Pitch battles to come, but no excuses

LEE CROFT

Latics’ wing wizard writes every week for Chron Sport

WE COULD quite easily have been sitting on six points from two games this week.

Instead we have kept our unbeaten run going — even though we didn’t play as well as we have recently against Scunthorpe and Port Vale.

At a goal up at Glanford Park, we were disappointed to have conceded so late and settled for a draw.

Tuesday night was a very different game and we had to show good character to get back into it against a good Vale side. We could have won that one near the end, too.

Conditions are difficult for us at the moment. Even the training pitches are very heavy and tough to play on. But we can’t let it become an excuse. And it is also important to stress that the ground staff is doing everything possible to make our pitch the best it can be. Unfortunately, the weather we have had makes their job very difficult.

It all means that at home, we are having to go a little more directly, whereas away from home on better surfaces, we are able to to pass the ball. Usually, it’s the other way round.

Home matches now will be largely about putting in battling performances. It may come down to who wants it more.

On a personal level, I want to play my football here and will continue to work hard in training and do everything I can to get that chance.

In the last few weeks, those who have been in the side have done very well so it has just been a case of being patient.

I haven’t had much action on the pitch at all lately and it is similar to other players on the fringes.

We have a Manchester Senior Cup game at Manchester United on Monday afternoon behind closed doors, so I will be involved in that one.