By Brian Bennett | Photo: Ian Brodie
After Friday’s match against Heaton Stannington was called off due to a frozen pitch, Ashington’s assistant manager Liam McIvor took time out to give a half term report.
The Colliers currently occupy 16th place in the East Division of the Pitching In Northern Premier League, only four points from safety. They recently went on a four match winning run which was ended on Boxing Day when they went down 1-0 against Blyth Spartans.
Now McIvor says the squad ‘must do better’ in the second half of the campaign: “We’ve signed a few players, kept loan deals on and we’ve got a very strong squad now but it’s about being consistent across every game,” he said, “We’ve had two spells in the season where we’ve been consistent – the three games in a week – then four recently where we took points. Obviously it was a massive disappointment with the result on Boxing Day against Blyth Spartans because that is a game which we obviously would have liked to have won with a big crowd here. The reality is we must do better.”
After being in the relegation drop zone, the Colliers strung wins together to move up the table and McIvor added: “Probably the biggest plus in the first half of the campaign was getting out of the bottom four. It was always a monkey to get off our back but I look at Blyth Spartans who are nine points adrift of us. They have just beaten us and have taken four points off us this season but I know what position I would rather be in. Looking at the league, if the lads keep their consistency and we were to go on another three game unbeaten run we would be in the play offs. That’s how tight it is – there is nothing in the league.”
He continued: “I do wish we were a bit higher up in the league because I think the position where we have been for most of the season doesn’t give credit to how good some of these players are. I think we are gelling more as a team; we look more of a man’s team if I’m honest because we’ve had to juggle things around for a long time and we’ve eventually brought a couple of signings in that we were after in pre season.”
McIvor believes there is plenty ahead for the Woodhorn Lane supporters – who gave the team a jolt at the end of October following a 3-0 loss at home to Newton Aycliffe: “I think it was the lowest point of the season when we were booed off – and rightly so if I’m honest – after that result and performance,” he added, “The fans have stuck by us through thick and thin and that had never happened before – but it was probably a wake up call that we needed as a team. Since then we’ve come out and given things a go and I think the fans have got plenty to look forward to in the second half of the season.”