Piggott tell his Lordswood players: You're playing for your futures - EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW

Friday 19th January 2007

Lordswood manager Paul Piggott has admitted that his players have “underachieved” this season and are playing for their futures, writes Stephen McCartney.Last season the Medway outfit finished their highest ever position as a Kent League club in eighth place.

Currently in 12^th place, having played the most league games than any of their rivals, Piggott insisted his players are playing for their futures during their remaining 12 league outings.

Unbeaten league leaders Whitstable Town, however, arrive at North Dane Way in high spirits tomorrow.

Marc Seager’s men are four points clear at the top of the table following their 2-0 win over second placed side Thamesmead Town last weekend.

But the Lords will be without midfielder Peter Overton tomorrow, as he takes a rest after playing two games in the past seven days.

Overton has arrived on loan from their Ryman League Division One South neighbours Maidstone United in a bid to get his match fitness back following a lengthy injury.

Explaining why he’s brought Overton to the club, Piggott said EXCLUSIVELY to www.kentishfootball.co.uk tonight: “First and foremost, he’s a good player, that’s the biggest reason he’s at the club.

“He brings experience and can help our youngsters and team along.

“He’s struggling at the moment. Peter’s been out of the game for nearly two years with a bad ankle, so he’s easing his way back in.

“He’s had two games in four days now, Saturday and Tuesday, and we’ve had a chat and he will give it a rest tomorrow.

“When you have been out of football that long you don’t want to rush it, although Peter wants to play every minute of every game, every season as he has that enthusiasm for the game.”

So can Lordswood become the first Kent League team to beat Whitstable this season?

“It depends what Lordswood side turns up!” replied Piggott.

“We’ve got two sides. We’ve got a side that competes and we’ve got a side that doesn’t.

“If I could put my finger on it I will be managing at a higher level but I can’t and I don’t.

“The trouble is with our squad we need all of our squad available and all raring for a shirt.

“The minute we have one or two missing or one or two not fully committed to the cause on match days we become an average side and average sides get beat at Kent League level.

“But if we have everyone turn up in the right frame of mind we can be and have shown to be a match for anybody in the league.”

Piggott knows Marc Seager and his side will treat his midtable side with respect.

“I know Marc quite well and I know he won’t be taking us too lightly,” said the Lordswood manager.

“His team have been plying their trade like they have done over the last 16 games, as professional as ever and that’s why they’ve got where they are.

“But at the end of the day, any team’s beatable, whether it’s Lordswood or Liverpool,” he warned. “We need to apply ourselves in the right way tomorrow.”

Midfielder Adam Ling (dead leg) will undergo a fitness test ahead of the North Dane Way clash.

Piggott, however, wants one final push from his players to improve on last season’s finish.

He said: “So far this season I think we’ve underachieved and with twelve league games to go the players at the club are playing for their futures.

“I was determined to show last season’s efforts weren’t a flash in the pan.

“We’ve lost too many games of football and rightly so but there’s one thing for sure, as long as I’m in charge we will be looking to win as many games as we can between now and the end of the season.”

Whitstable Town coach Simon Halsey, meanwhile, who spoke to www.whitstabletownfc.co.uk, insists the unbeaten league leaders will arrive at North Dane Way with the utmost respect for the Medway outfit.

He said: “Make no mistake, we will not underestimate Lordswood.

“Marc (Seager) and myself watched them on Tuesday when they lost to Hythe at home.

“We know for that game there were three or four Lordswood players missing who will figure against us on Saturday so we are under no illusions they will give us a hard game this weekend.

“Look, we are the in-form side, that’s not blowing our own trumpet, it’s a fact we are unbeaten in the league and still in the cups so every side wants to be the first to beat us.

“But Marc reminded all the players (at training that) in no uncertain terms the job is half done.

“He told them we were in a similar position last year 5 weeks to go to the end of the season, in with an outside chance of the title, certainly runners up spot.

"Last day of the season we had been dumped out of the cups and finished fifth. We learnt from that and I believe that’s why we have a bit more about us this season, we have taken the positives from a negative situation and move forward."

Former VCD Athletic coach Halsey praised the team's defence for keeping it solid at the back.

He said: "As our performance against Thamesmead showed last week when we beat them 2-0 we have a good solid defence, to be fair they did not have shot at goal and you cannot ask for more from your defenders, they were all superb.

"We have conceded 17 goals in 16 games; I think seven of those goals were in two matches so you can see how tight we have been at the back lately.

"We just need to continue doing what we have all season for the next sixteen games; then who knows where we will be come the end of the season."

Visit club websites:

www.lordswoodfc.com

www.whitstabletownfc.co.uk

Lordswood v Whitstable Town
Kent League Premier Division
Saturday 20^th January 2007
Kick Off 3:00pm
At North Dane Way, Walderslade, Kent ME5 8YE