Grantham take the trip into Yorkshire on Saturday to face Goole AFC looking for revenge for their home defeat earlier in the season. Joint manager Wayne Hallcro has had a hard time of things recently as he and fellow manager Jimmy Albans have tried to keep things ticking over with no football for two weeks.

 

“We have tried to minimise the impact of not being able to use the pitch for training.” Hallcro said .“It hasn’t been ideal, but we have booked the indoor pitch and got some work done. The lads have all turned up and we have worked hard.”

 

The Gingerbreads were more fortunate than anyone else in the UniBond League Division 1 South as the only side to play both Christmas matches.

 

“The Christmas games were big ones, but from the Witton game we have been more resiliant and not so easy to beat.” Hallcro commented. “We were getting beaten up, but now teams are not coming through us, they are having to do something to create chances.”

 

Hallcro went on to expand on things he felt have made the difference.

 

“The formation has made us look more solid, but the wing-backs have been superb. Lee Potts works very hard. He has got into the right positions when defending. Two or three times against Lincoln, he was in the right place to make the header. Sam Saunders has been a better player since he doesn’t feel under pressure. Now we are tighter as a defensive unit, he can play a more relaxed game.

 

Despite being the senior player as well as joint manager, Hallcro insists that despite being mentioned in Non-League Paper for his performance at Spalding, the Gingerbreads recent results are more than his influence.

 

“There’ll be no letting my ‘star man’ accolade go to my head.” Hallcro said. “The difference is that we are showing everyone what we have been telling them for weeks we want. We are talking everything from the back. I am getting closer to a full 90 minutes the more I train."

 

Grantham will have to make more changes to the line-up they have done in recent games. Midfielders Ian Robinson and Dave Frecklington are both suspended while Lee Potts is on holiday. The Gingerbreads will welcome Danny Hargreaves back after his suspension and Billy Stubbs is now fully fit after his broken foot.

 

“We have options to move players in there and bring in some who have been on the bench recently.” Hallcro said bafore expalining the situation with other squad members.

 

“We have been in touch with Marmie and are expecting him to be a part of things on Saturday. The loans of Niall O’Rafferty and Nick Langston have been extended by a further month and we are working on a third loanee who may be with us by Saturday.”

 

Olly Dyson has now got international clearance making him available for the trip to Goole. Olly contacted the club through the clubs' website having come back from the USA playing college and semi-professional football. Although Ollie is looking to go back to America for trials with professional clubs, he has trained with Grantham since mid-December and looks fit and is keen to do well for the Gingerbreads.

 

Also joining the club recently is local lad Greg Smith. Greg made his debut against Spalding, coming on for the last few minutes.

 

“He looks to have a great touch and wants to be part of something at Grantham.” Said Hallcro. “Local lads are very important to clubs at all levels and to the fans as well. I said to someone the other week when I was doing a darts night presentation to get his boots and come along. He said he had always wanted to play for Town, but never put himself forward. I hope to see him at training and we’ll see if he is good enough. The same goes to any local lads. Billy Stubbs and others in recent years have shown what can be done.”

 

Hallcro and Albans want to see the Gingerbreads put right the reverse they suffered at The Meres early in the season. On that afternoon, a long throw undid the Gingerbreads, but Hallcro expects Grantham to deal with that this time, unlike at the Meres when exactly what was known about was Grantham’s undoing.

 

“Conceding to a long throw did us earlier in the season.” Hallcro said. “We know what to expect, not only from that, but know it will be a rough and ready battle on Saturday. It is the sort of game that up to four weeks ago I would have said we might roll over, but we have shown in the last month that we can battle and match sides when we have to so we stay in the game and give ourselves a platform to get something from the game.”

 

Grantham’s opponents have been hit harder than the Gingerbreads with their last game a home win over Quorn on December 15^th. Since then three players, former Gingerbread Brett Lovell, along with Vill Powell and Shaun Pierepont have left the club, leaving the Vikings squad as short as the Gingerbreads.

 

Squad: Ayden Duffy, Richard Stainsby, Sam Saunders, Gary Sucharewycz, Wayne Hallcro, Alistair Asher, Billy Stubbs, Danny Brooks Jack Simmons, Nial O’Rafferty, Danny Hargreaves, Dennis Rhule, Olly Dyson, Ian Robinson, Lee Potts, Gio Carchedi, Martin Wormall, Ben Saunders, Nick Langford, Greg Smith.