Toolstation NCEL Premier Division
Rob Hunter wants Knaresborough Town to seize the opportunity to climb the table in the next few weeks.
After an horrendous run of defeats – mainly caused by a lengthy injury list – Knaresborough have stabilised themselves with three wins, one draw and two defeats from their last six league matches.
Knaresborough – fresh from the 4-0 win at Hemsworth Miners Welfare – play Goole AFC on Saturday and then Silsden after Christmas and Hunter ranks the games as of huge importance.
“We take every game as it comes and we have to try and win football matches that we’re capable of winning against teams around us,” Hunter told Non League Yorkshire.
“I think playing anybody from tenth down is a big game for us because we should be winning most of those games.
“With the squad we have got we are capable of beating everybody around us.
“We have been to some of the top sides in this league and been very unlucky so we shouldn’t be getting beat by teams in and around us.
“If we keep performing to the level we did (against Hemsworth), especially with the tempo and the high press we had in the first ten minutes then I think we should be picking up some points.
“The next two games are against teams around us so they are fairly important matches.
“In this league if you put a run of three or four wins together and you very quickly move up six or seven places.
“There is hardly anything between third bottom and tenth or eleventh.
“Any team in that group who puts a run together is going to climb the table into mid-table which was always the target for us.
“We said right at the beginning of the season that if the first team can finish anywhere near the top ten and the reserves can finish in the top four in their league then that would be a massive improvement for the club.
“That’s still the target now and we’re only just halfway through the season.
“We had a great result at Hemsworth, a great result at Bottesford, had an unlucky performance at Brighouse, we did well against Thackley without getting a result, we beat Albion Sports very comfortably so if we keep those performances up I think we will finish mid-table.”
Hunter has signed Joe Navier from Harrogate Railway and is still scanning the market.
Although he did miss out on one capture prior to the trip to Hemsworth.
“I thought I had signed someone last week,” he said.
“I actually agreed everything with him and he came to a training session and 20 minutes afterwards he told me he had changed his mind.
“Obviously someone came with a better offer.
“It is frustrating but we have signed Joe Navier from Harrogate Railway who I think is a good signing.
“I’ll keep working on improving the squad but we have a good squad of 18 or 19 players.
“The squad is really healthy so I’m not looking to bring in loads of players and I’m certainly not looking to throw money about.
“But if a player comes available who we can afford and fits into the ethos we have at the club I’d be interested in bringing them to the club.
“But he has to be better than what we have got.
“It isn’t about numbers, I’ve got loads of numbers, it is about improving the quality.”
On Navier, Hunter added: “Joe Navier is another young player who has loads and loads of potential.
“He has played a lot of games in the Railway first team this year but recently has been playing in their reserves.
“Our reserve team play in a stronger Division than the Railway reserve team and I believe he will be one who is looking to step up as soon as possible.
“He plays on the right wing and beats a player for fun and has loads of energy.
“I think he will be a great addition to the club.”