Hednesford Town manager Paul Casey today wished to provide supporters with an update on the current situation at Keys Park as he prepares to enter his third month in charge of the Pitmen.
The manager said: “Firstly, although we are a few days in, I’d like to wish all Hednesford Town supporters a very Happy New Year.
“I wanted to provide something of an update for fans and also thank them for the support which you have given me and the team since I arrived at the club two months ago.
“Obviously it was a disappointing result against Spennymoor Town yesterday but I firmly believe that on another day things could have been a lot different. I also think that Spennymoor will go on to finish in either top or second place and they are certainly the best team that I have faced so far at this level.
“Thank you to those supporters who made the long trip north, it is appreciated – likewise with the fantastic numbers that turned out at Stafford Rangers a couple of weeks ago.
“We’ve had a number of problems hit us over the last few weeks, for example the loss of defender Jim Mutton just before Christmas due to influences away from the football pitch, while Tom Thorley has been suffering with a hip injury for a number of weeks, with him expected to be out for another seven days at least.
“In the striking department as well we have suffered quite badly when it comes to luck. People have commented wondering why we went with the forward line that we did against Spennymoor – it was partly down to the fact that Tony Clarke was the only fully fit striker that we had at our disposal.
“Vinny Mukendi is still regaining his match fitness and also suffered concussion following our game against Stafford which saw him having to spend Boxing Day at hospital and the next seven to ten days recovering. Danny Glover was struck down with a nasty illness that had really hit him hard over the course of the last week while Spencer Weir-Daley was also still recovering from a calf strain.We’re hopeful that these things will start to settle down now.
“Although we have lost the last couple of home games due to the weather it does now mean for a change that we have games in hand on some of the sides around us. We also now have players here who actually want to play for Hednesford Town and I know that in the final couple of months of the season this team will be one of, if not the, fittest squads in the league – giving us a real platform to push on from.
“Once again I’d like to thank the fans for the support and let them know that results will improve as we continue to come together as a team.”
The manager also confirmed that midfielder Reece Leek has returned to Coleshill Town on a dual registration deal as he looks to get some game time.
