ELLESMERE Port have been set a target of four wins from their final seven matches to survive relegation.
But Steve Dorrington does not reckon it will be a ‘disaster’ if the Oilers are to make an instant return to South Lancs/Cheshire Division Three – as he believes their best years are ahead of them.
Head coach Dorrington, who took over the reins of his hometown club following their promotion to Division Two last season, said: “We’ve targeted four wins out of seven. That’s the target and whether we achieve it is down to us. Of the games left four of them are at home so we’ve got to go for it.
“Our aim is to stay up but it would not be a disaster to go down as we would come back up again.
“We’ve had a really tough time since around November but we do have the ability. We comprehensively beat the team at the top of our league at home earlier in the season by playing and training to a game plan.
“We are a different force at home as sometimes we struggle to name our strongest team away from home because of work commitments.”
The Oilers are hoping to welcome Dukinfield to Whitby Sports & Social Club on Saturday for a rearranged clash. As the Pioneer went to press they were still waiting for confirmation from the league as to whether the game will take place. If it doesn’t, Dorrington’s men will return to action on Saturday week at home to fellow strugglers Moore.
The Oilers have lost their last eight league matches and now sit bottom of Division Two.
Dorrington said: “On matchday, spirits are still high. We’ve got a great bunch of lads who are very close. Where we struggle is that we have a lot of lads who have to travel from work and have to do shift work. Training is impacted significantly.
“Toward the start of the season we had a lot more players training and there is a direct correlation between training numbers dwindling and our performance on a matchday.”
But whatever happens between now and the end of the season, Dorrington believes better times lie around the corner.
He said: “In two years time when the lads have matured and are more savvy they’ll be a better team for it.
“They know how to win – they proved that last season – but at this level, which is a big step up, they sometimes don’t know how to win yet. But I emphasise ‘yet’ as it will come.”
