VAUXHALL Motors manager Carl Macauley reckons his current crop of players is the strongest he has ever worked with.
Motors have once again been punching above their weight this season, reaching the first round proper of the FA Cup and climbing to 13th in the Blue Square North table despite a modest budget and small home crowds.
They claimed a 2-1 victory at home to Stafford Rangers last Tuesday but took an enforced break on Saturday as their match at Gloucester City was postponed due to a frozen pitch.
Macauley feels his players, who have not tasted defeat in the league since September 9, deserve plenty of credit.
He said: “It’s three months since we’ve been beaten in the league and so morale is good. Everyone is working hard in training and we have competition for places in the squad now.
“This bunch of lads are the strongest squad we’ve had. They have really gelled and can only improve.”
Macauley is keen to keep Motors’ momentum going. He wants his team to start to converting draws into wins, to avoid sliding down the table.
But he admits that after glancing at the early weekend weather forecast, this Saturday’s planned visit of Corby Town is unlikely to go ahead.
“We want to keep going to ensure our best ever finish, but obviously everywhere around the country has seen games called off,” said the Vauxhall boss. “We’ve had a lot of games lately and some of the players might need a little rest.
“The reports I’ve had say that Corby Town are a big, physical side. But to be honest I can’t see the game being on.”
Motors’ full-size 3G training pitch at Rivacre Park is the envy of the division and beyond, enabling them to continue training undisturbed while other clubs’ players are driven indoors. However, the club is not able to use the all-weather surface for league matches.
