"We need to keep ourselves in that top six!" Nathan Collins wants Skegness Town to lay down foundations for next season

Nathan Collins wants his Skegness Town side to finish the campaign strongly - and build some solid foundations for next season.

The Lilywhites finished the weekend in the United Counties League Premier Division North’s top six.

And despite a solid debut in the division following the summer’s promotion, Collins is keen to take the club even higher up the footballing pyramid.

“We need to kick on,” he said when asked what he wants for the rest of the season.

“Hopefully, we get a little more luck with injuries and things because if we can have a nice, vibrant second half to the season it bodes well for having a real good go at it next season.

“We need to keep ourselves up in that top six.”

Heather St John’s had the opportunity to leapfrog Town last night if they won at fifth-place Loughborough Students.

However, Collins’ focus is not on what rivals do but for his squad to pick up as many points as possible from their final 13 league games this term.

“(We want to) win every game, literally,” he said.

“I know it’s a cliche, but win every game. I told the lads months ago we’re not turning up to draw, we’re here to get three points.

“We’re going to get beat (in some games).

“We’ve taken hits on the way, we will take hits again because we’re a young, learning side.

“But we’re here to play and to let lads express themselves. Hopefully we can do that in the second half of the season.”

A stoppage-time leveller saw Skegness Town held at Newark on Saturday.

Jordan Smith gave the Lilywhites a 1-0 interval lead, finishing off a move involving Adam Millson and Conor Marshall.

Both sides had efforts ruled out and Town looked set to move up to fifth in the table before a 96th-minute equaliser from Brad McGregor.

The Lilywhites will meet Loughborough this weekend when they travel to the Loughborough University Stadium (KO 3pm).

There was some good news for Skegness on Saturday when keeper James Lambley returned from a lengthy injury to turn out for the Lilywhites’ Reserves in the Lincolnshire League.

However, he couldn’t prevent the side being beaten 4-0 by Lincoln Moorlands Railway.

Town defender Duran Reynolds has left the club to link up with former club Boston Town.

Skegness Town Women will return to Lincolnshire Co-Op Women’s League action on Sunday, away at Crowle Colts Ladies in their first game of the new year (KO 2pm).