Skelmersdale United manager Richard Brodie has expressed his feelings ahead of their clash with Kidsgrove Athletic.
They battled to beat Clitheroe before Tim Grice inspired an important win for Leek Town in their bid for promotion.
This weekend they travel to Kidsgrove Athletic a team eight points outside of the playoffs as they sit inside the bottom four due to their inferior goal difference.
“We had a break last week, no game, the Clitheroe game and Leek on the Tuesday night. If you look at it beforehand, we weren’t expected to get anything from either game but the Clitheroe game, I seen a side to the lads that we’re going to need,” the Skem boss told Off The Park.
“I said to them before the game, I’m sick of managers saying how well we play, the nice stuff, I said’ it’s horrible out there – windy, wet, cold – these are a good side, look at yourselves in the mirror, have you done enough?’ That’s all I ask. Have you done enough? We come off with nine men, he added five minutes added on, played nine of the five and we hung on.
“I thought to a man they were absolutely outstanding, I was proud of every single one of them because not many teams will go there and win, we did and we deserved it. Organised, we were just men, complete men, the lads were fantastic and thoroughly deserved the win. We were at home to Leek, I said before they’re the best team in the division and they showed it, they’re ready for the next level.
“They’re physical, got a gameplan, know exactly what they’re doing, sometimes you hold your hands up when you’re beaten by the better side. We give a good account of ourselves, moving further down the line, I want to build something, I said ‘go and aspire to be like that’ where everyone knows what to do.
“Tim Grice had five chances and scored four, that’s the difference with top sides in the division, we’re disappointed but we’re no disgrace. We learn and move on, we’ve got a huge week coming up where we’ve got to pick points up, the spirits really good in the squad, exciting times to be honest.”
Kidsgrove beat Skem in the reverse fixture last month but have endured a three-match winless run following defeats to Workington and Macclesfield.
“As a team, when we’re not expected to get anything that’s when we’re getting something. It’s the teams around us we have to be better against,” Brodie added.
“You go back to the City of Liverpool game and the two games after that was the reaction we got because it wasn’t good enough. The teams around us where we are ‘slight favourites’ that’s when we don’t perform, it has to change.
“We got a great chance of getting something at Kidsgrove, we all of a sudden look like a team, the lads are great, we feel like we’ve got an identity now. We will work on a few things this week to go and beat Kidsgrove then we move onto Trafford, a team around us, then Northwich.”
[Featured image: Gordon Johnson]
