Royston get set for Saturday’s trip to Chalfont St Peter

CROWS manager Paul Attfield says Saturday’s mouth-watering clash at table-topping Chalfont St Peter has come at the right time.

Fourth placed Royston go into the match on a superb run of form that has seen them win five of their seven league matches since Christmas and keep five clean sheets – including Tuesday night’s 5-0 demolition of Biggleswade United.

It wasn’t all plain sailing at Second Meadow, though, and Attfield says he was far from happy with his players at half time.

“We were dire in the first half on Tuesday and nothing clicked for us,” said Attfield.

“I was really frustrated but we had a few words at half time and we were brilliant in the second half – it was like watching a different team. We pulverised them, in truth, and we really should have scored a few more.

“We didn’t look like conceding in the first half and I’m very pleased with how we’ve defended as a whole in our games since Christmas.

“I think we’re now at a point where we’ve racked up a lot of clean sheets and it has made us even more determined to maintain that in every game.

“McGrandles has been excellent since he’s come in and it’s no fluke our defensive record has improved since he’s been here because he’s made a substantial difference.

Attfield added: “The Chalfont match has come at a good time because we’re on a good run of form and, really, there’s no pressure on us going into the match.

“It’s a six-pointer and if we do beat them it leaves us 10 points behind with still plenty of points to play for from 15 matches.

“If we can take our recent good play into the game then we’ll give ourselves a very good chance of getting the three points.”

Royston will be keen to get revenge on the Buckinghamshire side after the Saints won 5-0 at Garden Walk back in September and Attfield says his side are more than capable of getting a good result and keep their faint promotion hopes alive come 5pm on Saturday evening.

“We folded last time but it was never a 5-0 game,” he said,

“They’ve been building for this for the last four or five years and they’re top because they’ve been the most consistent team in the division. But, saying that, they’ve also dropped a few points of late so they’re not unbeatable.

“We’ll be going there to try and win the game and I want us to take the game to them. We are a good attacking side and we just need to play how we know we can.

“The foundations are there and we’re not far off. Whether it’s too late to catch Chalfont, we’ll have to wait and see.

“I don’t want to go over the top with our good form but we’re doing well and we’ll just concentrate on our own games and see how it pans out.”

Attfield should welcome back centre-half David Cain for the match at Mill Meadow while he will have to wait on the fitness of Rhys Lawrence who was injured on Tuesday night. He will also be without striker Bobby Dance who is unavailable while it has also been announced that the club has released striker George Brinkman after his seven-month spell at Garden Walk.