Chelmsford City face Truro City in the FA Trophy on Saturday.
And Truro`s 7-2 defeat at Stourbridge in the Zamaretto League Premier Division last weekend makes no odds to Glenn Pennyfather this weekend as he lines-up his squad to face the Cornwall, the City’s Head Coach claiming: “This is going to be a tough game.”
The Cornishmen have hit a patch of indifferent form of late after a storming start to life in the Premier Division but their recent wobbles are of no concern to Pennyfather, whose own team are on a promising run in all competitions. He believes the nature of cup football, along with their determination to brush aside the departure of manager Sean McCarthy in midweek, means City will need to be on their guard.
“I really do think this is going to be a tough game,” he explained. “They made a good start to the season and they’ve got a decent, experienced side who will play if you let them so we mustn’t give them any incentives and need to keep our work rate high. By all accounts it was a freak result they had last week where the opposition had seven shots and scored seven goals. They’ve parted company with their manager recently, which isn’t necessarily a good thing for us, and it’s a massive game for both clubs.”
Having been drawn against lower-ranked opposition twice so far, Pennyfather knows the draw has seen the Clarets avoid Blue Square opposition for a second time, though he is happy to accept any test if his team are on form. He continued: “Common sense dictates you want to avoid Conference teams for as long as you can but the main thing is we’re at home in front of our own fans. We gave a good account of ourselves against Stevenage when we met them so we’re not afraid of anyone as long as we’re on our game.”
Chelmsford have now kept three clean sheets in a row and Pennyfather finally believes his side may have solidified their defence, adding: “We’ve got to keep concentrating and making the right decisions at set plays and restarts and get into good habits in free play. I’m pleased with how composed we’ve been on the ball, which enables us to pass from the back and feed the front men more. When we’re working the ball forward we’re not just kicking it long all the time and try not to pass aimlessly or without method.”
Captain Dave Rainford will be missing through suspension, having collected five yellow cards so far this season, and he will join long-term injury victim Simon Glover on the sidelines following his operation on a broken ankle. Marlon Patterson will have to wait patiently for his City debut as he is cup-tied for the fixture having played in the competition already for Bishop’s Stortford, while goalkeeper Craig Holloway, who was transfer-listed, made his Braintree Town return at Cressing Road on Tuesday.
Truro grabbed the non-League headlines as they flew through the leagues to gain last season’s promotion into the Southern Premier, going on to win five of their first six games. But a couple of draws saw the tide begin to turn and they have suffered four league defeats on the spin. Their Trophy run, however, has kept morale high and their run began with a 4-0 away win at fellow south-west side Tiverton Town, culminating in subsequent home wins over Thatcham Town (4-1) and Gloucester City (1-0).
Meanwhile, Chelmsford’s defensive revelation, Mark Haines, has revealed how City’s policy of giving youth a chance has paid off for the likes of Ricky Modeste, Rob Edmans and himself. Speaking in an interview for Saturday’s programme, he claimed: “There are definitely opportunities, so you’ve got to make sure you take them when they come. Some of our other players have taken their chances because they wouldn’t be here otherwise and they’re learning along with me. The club is on the way forward.”
Haines has progressed from a youthful reserve team to make himself a near fixture in the centre half position this season and he believes the experience of his older team mates is beginning to rub off. “I’ve taken a lot from the other players and have been reading their game, such as when to go for certain headers or not, because they’ve been around longer than me.
“Wardy and Ben Chenery give me advice and Ben stays after training to help me work on things like my heading. If I make a mistake they encourage me and tell me how to do it better next time.”
