Bradbury aims high after brief stay at top

Their stay in pole position proved short-lived after a 2-0 home defeat by Enfield Town on Saturday toppled them from their perch after just one game.

A win on the 3G surface at Woodside Park, however, will see them leapfrog back above Bognor and regain the league leadership.

Bradbury knows his team will need to show a big improvement on their below-par performance against Enfield.

‘We need to regain that little spark and buzz we had been showing recently up until Saturday,’ said the Westleigh Park boss.

‘When we do that and match the opposition’s work-rate I don’t think there are many teams in our league that can live with us.

‘I have 100-per-cent confidence in the group of players here that we can get back to the top.

‘We are disappointed that we are no longer top of the league.

‘It is who is there at the end of the season that really matters.

‘After the defeat it is a good thing to have a chance to quickly put things right. We know that we need to be far more consistent.’

The visitors have suffered a big blow with the news that Ryan Woodford is likely to be out for four to six weeks.

The central defender damaged his shoulder and broke a rib against Enfield.

He bravely battled through the final stages but is unlikely to return until the new year.

On a brighter note, talented full-back Dan Strugnell is back in contention after missing the last game with a sickness bug.

Wes Fogden is also expected to shrug off his hamstring problems.

Bradbury is waiting to see if he needs to bring in another defender on loan to cover the loss of Woodford.

‘We have Ed Harris fit again and Andreas Robinson can also drop back,’ he added.

‘I will assess the situation in the next week or so.

‘Having Dan Strugnell back is a big plus for us.

‘He is quick, strong and gives us an extra dimension.’

Bradbury accepts the Hawks’ biggest problem lies in not making the most of the possession and excellent positions they get themselves into.

Time and time again wide-men Ben Swallow and George Barker expose opponents down the flanks.

The end result, however, is often disappointing.

‘We must become far more ruthless in both boxes,’ said Bradbury.

‘It is very frustrating and something we need to address.

‘We must take more of our chances.’

Hawks: Young, Strugnell, Molyneaux, Harris, Williams, Stock, Lewis, Fogden, Robinson, Swallow, Barker, Prior, Paterson, Rutherford, Hayter, Tarbuck