Despite 14-point gap between Crows and top spot, manager says his players must not give up fighting

ROYSTON TOWN boss Paul Attfield says his team must continue to believe they can win promotion this season – despite the 14-point deficit between themselves and Chalfont St Peter.

Consistency has been the Crows’ main problem so far this campaign, while the league-leaders have suffered no such trouble having won all of their 17 matches to date.

Such is the make up of step five football, only one team can gain promotion from the Spartan South Midlands Premier Division and for the majority of teams in the division the season is already all but over baring cup competitions.

However, despite the increasing gulf between third-placed Royston and the Saints, Attfield says his players must continue to fight on and be prepared for any potential slip up their rivals may make between now and the end of the season.

“Lets hope they do believe,” says Attfield.

“I don’t find it hard to motivate myself, but we don’t want to keep throwing away points and gifting silly goals.

“We’re still third but 14 wins and 14 defeats tells you that we’ve been very inconsistent. All the points we’ve dropped, apart from against Chalfont, have been through our own downfall. In most of them we’ve dominated and been in command but have thrown it away.”

Attfield was far from happy with his team’s showing in the 4-2 defeat at Hillingdon Borough on Saturday and says he was disappointed the players didn’t show the same level of desire displayed in the two previous FA Vase matches against Leiston.

“It was a completely different game to Leiston,” he added.

“I was hoping to see the same fighting spirit but our defending was poor, our finishing was poor and generally when that happens you’re not going to win a football match.

“They (Hillingdon) were very average and all four goals were poor but they were gifted to them.

“We’re not going to make excuses. We didn’t react until they scored the first goal. However, I don’t think it really helped us when they went down to 10 men because we were starting to get a grip on the game and were beginning to get in behind them but, after the sending off, they sat back more which made it difficult.”

Royston welcome mid-table Haringey Borough to Garden Walk this Saturday in the hope of bouncing back from their defeat in London.

Attfield could well alter his starting line-up for the match after naming and unchanged XI against Hillingdon.

Centre-half Liam McDevitt has returned to full fitness after missing the last two matches through injury and is pushing for a start while Ricky Young made a positive contribution after coming on as a substitute on Saturday. Striker Bobby Dance could also return after missing the last two matches.