Farnborough FC

Day prepares Farnborough for 'brutal' double-header

By Jon Couch
March 14, 2013

SPENCER DAY is preparing his Farnborough side for a brutal 48 hours’ work as they look to finish their horror run of away matches on a high.

Day’s men travel to fellow Blue Square South mid-table side Sutton United on Saturday before making the trip to Essex to take on play-off chasing Chelmsford City on Monday night.

And Boro will go into the double-header high in confidence after ending their recent sticky run of form with a hard-fought 1-0 revenge victory at Eastbourne Borough last Saturday, while Tuesday night’s re-scheduled trip to Dorchester Town was postponed due to a frozen pitch.

Midfield loanee Matt Ball’s fine 15th-minute strike – his first for the club – was enough to give Day’s men the points at Priory Lane on Saturday, handing Boro rapid revenge for the disappointing 1-0 defeat by Sports in the reverse fixture a fortnight ago.

“It was a big win for us and thoroughly deserved,” Day said. “I thought we were worthy of at least a point at Billericay on the Tuesday night so we put that right and apart from the first 10 minutes and the last five we were excellent.

“The finishing was not as ruthless again as it should have been but we cut out a lot of the negativity at the other end and won it through a great goal from Matt Ball, who is starting to show his Football League class.

“To get a victory in this incredibly difficult run of away matches was just what we needed.”

With Tom Donegan’s loan spell from Fulham ended and Steve Laidler out suspended, Ball took on plenty of weight in the centre of the park and showed his class when rifling a shot into the top corner of the net after good work by Reece Connolly.

Earlier, Dan Bennett found himself one-on-one with keeper Danny Potter after a glorious cross-field pass from Dave Tarpey, but the Sports’ stopper, rightfully named man-of-the-match, was equal to the task.

Target man Richard Peniket, with two goals in his first two games for Boro, was a constant threat and might have had a hat-trick on another day, as might Connolly, who has now gone five matches without a goal.

Still, however, Day was grateful for the heroics of keeper Ross Worner at the other end in keeping out second-half efforts from Elliott Charles, while Matt Aldred’s 20-yard effort rebounded off the post in stoppage time.

Worner must have been close to being recalled by Aldershot Town boss Andy Scott this week following the injury to Shots’ No.1 Jamie Young, but he remains at Cherrywood Road and would have started Tuesday night’s game at Dorchester had the cold snap not intervened.

Day, however, admitted his disappointment at the decision to call the game off, insisting it came two hours too early with temperatures rising and other fixtures managing to survive the change in weather. The match has now been re-arranged for Tuesday March 26.

The good news for Day is that the influential Laidler returns for the double header – and the boss insisted his side would need his energy in heart of the Boro engine room.

“Both are ridiculously difficult games against sides who are, and should be, play-off candidates,” he added.

“Both have strong squads and are extremely physical, so we will have to be on our mettle. But we are playing well at the moment and if we apply ourselves like we did on Saturday and find that little bit of luck and quality when we need it, then I think we can give anyone a game.”

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