Fogden: Hawks will cope with rivals upping their game

DETERMINED Wes Fogden is backing the Hawks to get their Vanarama National League South title-winning bid back on track against Bath City at Twerton Park on Saturday (3pm).
Wes FogdenWes Fogden
Wes Fogden

The lively midfielder was disappointed by the 1-0 midweek defeat at Truro City and recognises his side need to raise their game again.

He knows play-off chasing Bath City will be going all out to topple the league leaders.

Fogden said: ‘We need to put in another good performance.

‘When you are at the top you are there to be shot at.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

‘We are seen as the team to beat and you could see that at Truro in the way they celebrated at the end of the game.

‘It was like they had won the league.

‘The challenge for us is to deal with it and make sure we overcome the problems presented by that.

‘Our defeat at Truro was our first in nine games so there is certainly no need to panic.

‘If we keep working hard and keep picking up points between now and the end of the season then we will be up there with a shout.’

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

The Hawks have not been at their best in the last three games but still managed to pick up four points.

A late Alfie Rutherford goal gave them a win against Wealdstone but in the last two games the goals have dried up.

They managed a draw against Hampton & Richmond Borough but the luck ran out in Cornwall.

Despite having much of the game Lee Bradbury’s side fell to a second-half sucker punch.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Fogden, who recently reached 200 appearances for the Hawks, accepts they need to create more chances and also be sure they take them.

The opposition will not be giving them anything and with rivals chasing the pressure can increase.

He added: ‘In the past three or four games we have found it difficult to score goals.

‘We have not been as creative as we would like.

‘Not so many chances have come our way.

‘Part of that is teams sitting back, getting players behind the ball and looking to hit us on the counter-attack.

‘That is what happened at Truro.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

‘Lee Bradbury likes us to play on the front foot and we certainly did that in the first half at Truro.

‘In the second half we didn’t play quite as well but we still felt comfortable. Then one cross and one good header undid us.

‘That gave Truro something to defend and made it doubly difficult for us.’

Brian Stock is an injury doubt after he limped off in the Hampton game.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

His replacement Mike Carter was the man of the match at Truro.

Jason Prior is expected to lead the line.

Hawks: Young, Rose, Woodford, Harris, Williams, Carter, Lewis, Fogden, Prior, Tarbuck, Robinson, Rutherford, Tubbs, Hayter, Dudzinski, Stock, Huggins, Molyneaux