CHICKERELL UTD 2

PIDDLETRENTHIDE UTD 1

CHICKERELL United battled back to secure a fourth-straight league victory against Piddletrenthide United, running out 2-1 winners.

The Chickens started slowly and found themselves behind at half-time after some excellent play from the visitors down the left saw the ball played across the face of goal to be tapped home.

It was a frustrating game for the hosts, who dominated for long spells without being able to put the ball in the back of the net, before a tactical gamble paid dividends for Steve Coward’s men.

Replacing two full-backs in favour of more firepower in midfield, Chickerell looked to pile forward in the closing stages and got their rewards when Nick Etherington scored following a goalmouth scramble.

Just minutes later, the hosts got a winner when Josh Why picked up the ball on the edge of the area and fizzed an effort into the roof of the net to give the Chickens a much-deserved win, a result which pleased manager Coward.

He said: “The lads worked hard and never gave up. At the start of the season we would have probably lost that game two or three nil.

“But in the last few weeks we seem to have got our composure back, and although we haven’t been playing that well we’ve been doing enough to win the games which is what’s important. You can only beat what’s in front of you.

“At the start of the season, I didn’t set any targets because I knew I was working with some youngsters. From a coaching point of view it’s nice to see that these young lads have developed since then.”

The victory made it four wins in a row for Coward’s side, and the manager has emphasised the importance of a positive mentality.

He said: “They did make it hard for us, but at the end of the day, we’ve come away with three points, and that’s four back-to-back wins for us now.

“In any sport it’s about belief. You can be as good as you want but if you don’t have that belief then you aren’t going to win games, and we’re getting that back again now.

“But now they’ve won a few games and you can see their confidence growing.”

Chickens: Bickerstaff, Sanderman (Dewey), James (Terry), Miles, Rogers, Harvey, Etherington, Ryan (Bill), Welch, Hansford, Why