Wilkin will use precious time wisely

Brackley Town manager Kevin Wilkin says he plans to use the enforced break to put his players through five training sessions before they resume Vanarama National League North action.
Brackley Town manager Kevin Wilkin will use time wiselyBrackley Town manager Kevin Wilkin will use time wisely
Brackley Town manager Kevin Wilkin will use time wisely

Following their FA Trophy exit at the hands of Worcester City, Saints are without a game this weekend so Wilkin will use this fortnight as a mini-pre-season before his side are back in action at Harrogate Town.

The Saints boss said: “It’s frustrating not to have a game this weekend and the opportunity to build on what we’ve achieved in the last two games. But at least we’re going into a blank weekend on the back of a win and not a defeat which would have been more frustrating.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

“We will have five training sessions before our next game and that will give us chance to work on a few things and freshen things up. It will be like a mini-break before the festive period which will be a demanding time.”

Saturday’s success against Gloucester City saw Saints climb up to 15th but they are still only two points outside the relegation zone.

The blank weekend also means on-loan striker James Akintunde should be fit to resume at Harrogate after missing the last four games through injury.

Akintunde, new Oxford United loanee Josh Ashby, Aidan Hawtin and Joe Clarke are all staying until the new year and their availability over the festive period will be invaluable to Saints, as is striker Steve Diggin, who bagged his 13th goal of the campaign against Gloucester to earn Saints three more crucial points.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Wikin added: “This is a very tight division and if we hadn’t won on Saturday we would have been right down still.

“Back-to-backs wins can take you up a few places but now we’ve got to build on that at Harrogate. Every team needs a player like Steve Diggin and we would struggle without him.”