Skegness aiming for a key success

Skegness Town manager Chris Rawlinson has identified Saturday's game as key to their play-off hopes.

The season is in its early days but Skegness have begun well and are just two points outside the top five going into the weekend’s games, with Eastwood among those currently in the play-off zone.

And Rawlinson is hopeful his side’s current form will continue.

He said: "Since our FA Vase exit we’ve won two games and not conceded, we just need to start scoring on a more regular basis.

"Eastwood is a really big game in our attempts to get into the play-offs mix as I think we go above them if we beat them.

"They have some good experienced players, some of whom I’ve worked with before. It’s at our place and I want to make it a fortress and if we do what we’re good at which is defend solidly and keep the ball in the right areas, then take our chances effectively I think we’ll be fine.

"The Skegness support is vocal and get behind us so hopefully we’ll get plenty through the gate to get behind the team because if we’re lucky enough to win then we’re properly in the mix.”

Last weekend, Skegness left it late to secure victory in their League Cup tie at home to Radford, Gary King’s winner deep into stoppage time at the end of the game seeing them into the last 16.

Rawlinson said: "We’ve struggled this season against all four UCL Division One sides we’ve played – I’m not sure if it’s a mental thing or a different style of play in that league.

"We continued with the shape we had against Ashby, but while it didn’t work it was good the lads realised we needed to adapt.

"It left us with a bit of an imbalance but we made some changes at the break and with a bit more pace up front we were much better, missed a penalty, had three or four cleared off the line, then just as I thought we were heading for penalties – for which I feared the worst given we’ve missed six out of eight this season – it was a wonderful finish from Gary King.”