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Nailers hoping to bow out on a high

Nailers hoping to bow out on a high

David Laughlin20 Apr 2017 - 12:24
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Belper Town will look to finish their Evo-Stik NPL season on a high this weekend as they chase a fourth successive win at home to Chasetown.

It’s just nice to finish off the season with some wins and, with one to go, can we make it four? That could take us into next season nicely.
- Eric Graves

The Nailers are determined to go into the summer on a high and enjoyed a six-point Easter with a 3-1 home win over Kidsgrove Athletic followed by a 1-0 victory at Sheffield FC.

Skipper Eric Graves (pictured) said: “It was a good couple of wins, though we’ve not much to play for unfortunately.

“It’s just nice to finish off the season with some wins and, with one to go, can we make it four? That could take us into next season nicely.

“You have to have your own personal motivation and we are obviously doing that better than other teams at the moment as we are winning games. We are doing something right.

“Also, effectively, we are all playing to be part of the gaffer’s squad next season.”

He added: “It’s not the most exciting end to the season for me personally as there haven’t been many times when I’ve not been involved in a fight for the play-offs or fighting relegation. It’s just one of those things.”

The four wins followed a 7-1 hammering at Basford United and 4-1 defeat at table-toppers Shaw Lane.

“We were playing some of the best teams in the league at the time which didn’t help, but we let ourselves down with the performances, especially the one at Basford,” admitted Graves.

“As a group we needed to put that right and we have now got three wins, all without Phil Watt, one of our star men, who has been suspended for three games. But the squad have pulled together with a few people had to play in different positions.”

This weekend the visitors are Chasetown, who are down in 17th place.

“They are another team at the start of the season that would have had ambitions to be in and around the play-offs,” said Graves.

“They spent a lot of money on lads from Stafford Rangers, who won the league last year, so expected to be up there as well.

“I think they may be in the same boat as us in terms of what might have been.

“At the end of the day it’s always nice to finish the season at home with the home fans and have a chat with them afterwards about the season.

“We look like will stay in 10th place which you can class as a top 10 finish and then the next step is to get in the play-offs. Hopefully we can take three points to go into the summer and pre-season.”

He added: It’s difficult in non-League as with lots of players non-contract they can move pretty easily.

“But in an ideal world I think we just need to add two or three quality player to this squad and score more goals. I am sure the gaffer has players in mind already.”

Credit: Belper News

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