Pearce: Moneyfields must find early-season form

MONEYFIELDS are desperate to halt their slide as they take on Hayes & Yeading at Dover Road in the Southern League east division on Saturday (3pm).
Sam Pearce. Picture: Neil MarshallSam Pearce. Picture: Neil Marshall
Sam Pearce. Picture: Neil Marshall

Dave Carter’s side have gone seven games without a win, picking up just one point from 21.

The former league leaders have slipped to eighth dropping out of the play-off places.

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Fifth placed Hayes & Yeading have already won six games away from home this season and will be another awkward test for the home side.

Experienced defender Sam Pearce feels there is a need to get back to basics.

At the start of the season Moneys were not conceding goals.

They had a solid platform to build from in matches with opposition teams struggling to break them down.

It meant they were able to scrap well in games when they needed to and that set them up for wins.

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‘We have to get back to keeping clean sheets and being hard to beat,’ said Pearce.

‘If we do that we can give ourselves a platform to win games.

‘All the time we are conceding goals it means that we are having to score two or three to get anything out of games.

‘We have to go back to basics.

‘It is difficult to put your finger on why the wheels have come off.

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‘Having a small squad doesn’t help because injuries and suspensions have hit us hard.

‘We want to get back to what we were like at the start of the season.

‘Then we went on an unbeaten run of 15 games that saw us top the league.

‘Since then we have come back down to earth a bit.

‘I am sure once we get another win under our belt things will change.

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‘Once we do that then we can go on another run and get back in the play-off places.’

Moneyfields have missed experienced defender Brett Poate because of a hamstring injury.

Poate who has played more than 400 Conference South games in his career remains a doubt.

He was badly missed in the 3-1 home defeat against current league leaders AFC Rushden & Diamonds at Dover Road.

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Pearce is hoping his defensive partner will be back sooner rather than later.

He added: ‘You are bound to miss a player as experienced as he is.

‘Our fate is still in our own hands because all the teams above us still have to come to Dover Road.’