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Stratford Town can still fight for the play-offs, vows Josh Hawker




MIDFIELDER Josh Hawker remains confident that Stratford Town can still be in the mix for the play-offs this season.

Stratford Town players celebrate the last minute equaliser against Basford United. Photo: Mark Williamson
Stratford Town players celebrate the last minute equaliser against Basford United. Photo: Mark Williamson

The Bards have won just won one of their last eight Southern Premier Central outings and the point gained in the 2-2 draw with Basford United moved them up to 16th in the table.

Having trailed 2-0 after Anthony Dwyer and Gregory Smith struck inside the first 15 minutes, James O’Neill pulled one back in the 85th minute before second-half substitute Hawker popped up in the ninth minute of added time to ensure the spoils were shared.

The Bards will be hoping the character shown against Basford will stand them in good stead ahead of this Saturday’s trip to Coalville Town (3pm kick-off) and Hawker told the Herald there’s plenty of quality in the squad to still challenge for the play-offs.

“We’re doing all we can to turn things around. The lads never stop working and the training sessions are so detailed,” he said.

“Annoyingly, in the games we have lost and, the lads won’t mind me saying this, thrown away, we’ve still not played that badly. That’s the frustrating part because we’ve been playing well but gifting teams goals.

“It’s a case of getting the belief back into the squad.

“We’ve got some very good players here and we’ve just got to go out onto the pitch and enjoy ourselves and eventually [the results] will come.”

“We will be in and around [the play-offs]. The table is very tight and a couple of back-to-back wins propels you from where we are now to just outside the play-offs.”

Gifting teams goals has certainly been the story of the season so far for the Bards but former Halesowen Town and Leamington midfielder Hawker hopes the draw with Basford can be used as something to kick on from.

“We were frustrated with the two goals we conceded in the first half and while it was a point gained, we felt it was two points dropped,” he said.

“When James got the goal back it was a real tails up moment and when I came onto the pitch I could tell we were growing into the game but we just needed the ball to drop to us and get that bit of luck. Thankfully it dropped to me and in fairness, it’s not my best goal, I had a horrible touch and it came off my toe but scoring that equaliser was a wonderful feeling.

“It was just brilliant to get something from the game and hopefully we can kick on now.”

After Saturday, the Bards are at home to West Bromwich Albion in the first round of the Birmingham County FA Senior Challenge Cup on Tuesday (7.45pm kick-off).

Meanwhile, the Bards have announced forwards Jack Storer and Dexter Walters have left the club by mutual consent. Defender Carl Dickinson, who led Hanley Town to the Midland League Premier Division title last season, has joined.



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