Eastwood players are 'playing for their futures'

Paul Rockley wants to see his players fight for their futures at the club.

With six games left to play in the UCL Premier North, Eastwood are in 14th place, 12 points above the relegation zone and hopeful of not being dragged anywhere near it.

But off the back of a 5-1 loss at home to Deeping Rangers last weekend, joint-boss Rockley says the current squad need to show in the remaining games that they’re worth factoring in to next season’s plans that will see a far more ambitious plan to challenge for the top places.

He said: “There can’t be any excuses or complacency just because of where we are in the table.

"Nobody can be satisfied with our position and take their foot off the gas, nor can they assume they’re good enough to stay for next year.

"Mathematically we still have some work to do to make sure we’re safe, whilst at the same time trying to build stability and momentum for next season.

"We’re confident that with a full pre-season and one or two additions we’ll have a squad capable of pushing much higher next season, but the players here now need to show us the right attitudes and that they are capable of playing a part in that.”

Last weekend’s defeat saw Eastwood compete well until just before half-time when two quick goals, followed by another just after the break, knocked the wind out of their sails.

Rockley said: “We did well for 40 minutes or so and had got back to the style of play that had brought us good success in January, we just didn’t take our good chances and then got sucker-punched twice and never recovered.

"You have to make your own luck sometimes and it’s through hard work that you get that luck back, which we’re doing in the twice weekly training sessions.”

Next up is a trip to sixth-placed Boston Town on Saturday with Rockley expecting an improvement on last weekend’s display.

He said: “Boston are on a mixed run and it’s just been announced their manager is leaving at the end of the season so it’s a case of how they might react to that and if we can take advantage.

"We just need to turn our good spells into 90 minute displays and start controlling games more.”