NCEL: Stansfield hoping for Autumn winning streak for Knaresborough Town

Boss Paul Stansfield urged his Knaresborough Town squad to build up a run of steam into the Autumn months.
Knaresborough Town's Blaine Hobson (Photo: Craig Dinsdale)Knaresborough Town's Blaine Hobson (Photo: Craig Dinsdale)
Knaresborough Town's Blaine Hobson (Photo: Craig Dinsdale)

Stansfield was impressed by his side’s clinical finishing as the Reds swept nine-man Lincoln Moorlands Railway aside 6-0 on Tuesday night.

The win was Knaresborough’s first in five matches, after Nash Connolly’s hat-trick for Hemsworth Miners Welfare downed them 4-2 at home on Saturday.

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He told the Post: “I’m always delighted when we win a game and we needed to win.

“We have to put a run together now. We are missing a couple of players on Saturday, and that gives people an opportunity.

“But we still want to be consistent because we need back to back wins.”

Boro’s cause was helped by Lincoln’s indiscipline on Tuesday night when two men were red-carded following a horror challenge on Toby Lees.

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Two goals in the space of two minutes from Graham Whitehead and Blaine Hobson had put Town into the lead before the incident, which sparked a melee between players from both teams.

With the home side depleted, George Eustance forced home a strike of quality on the stroke of half time before goals from Will Lenehan, Brad Walker and Ally Wilson made for an easy second period.

Stansfield said the referee was right to send off the two Lincoln men, but the damage had already been done by his side.

He added: “It was great to see the lads bounce back. I just wanted them to go out and enjoy it because they didn’t look like they were enjoying it against Hemsworth.

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“But we can’t get too carried away and read too much into it. They were a completely different side to the one we faced at the weekend.”

The Town faithful will expect a goalfest this weekend at a struggling Grimsby Borough outfit.

Borough have conceded 34 goals in their opening eight matches and have only picked up one win when they hammered bottom side Winterton Rangers 5-0.

Will Lenehan, Dom Wilson and Blaine Hobson are unavailable but Joel Freeston and Fraser Lancaster will return to Stansfield’s squad.

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Asked whether it was a chance for his goalscorers to sharpen up, Stansfield replied: “You would certainly think so look at it, but I am not stupid enough to think we can just turn up and get the win.

“We have to earn the right and the football will come. If we approach Saturday with the same attitude as against Lincoln then we will be fine.

“A win is really important for our confidence. If we can get a win and sit on 16 points after 10 games, we are not a million miles from the two point a game target every club tries to achieve.

“It’s now down to the players and what their aspirations are.”

Meanwhile, Knaresborough’s Reserves slipped down to 12th in the West Yorkshire Premier after losing 2-0 at Pool.

The second string are at home to Horburn Town on Saturday (2.30pm).

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