Buzzards hopeful of avoiding the drop
LEIGHTON Buzzard director of rugby Carl Siddon says he has faith in his side to avoid relegation from the Midlands 1 East League, despite them currently sitting third from bottom of the table.
Buzzards have had the last two weeks off from action due to the freezing conditions, but should return this Saturday with a tough trip to Market Rasen & Louth.
Buzzards were due to visit high-flying Towcestrians on February 4 but the match was postponed because of a frozen pitch.
With both sides without games the following week, the fixture was rescheduled for last Saturday – but once again the weather proved the winner and the match had to be called off.
Siddon is hoping the break from action – and the chance for some of the club’s injured players to recover – could be a blessing in disguise, and they will return focused on the job at hand.
He said: “We’ve had trouble with injuries all season and at times we’ve had better teams on the sideline watching than actually out there playing.
“But we’ve coped well with that. We’ve just lacked a bit of a cutting edge in some games when we’ve been winning but not been able to hold on. That extra bit of quality needed to win has not been there and it has cost us points.”
Buzzards currently sit third from bottom of the table and in the final relegation place, but only behind Spalding on points difference.
They may have lost their last four games but have only been beaten narrowly in their last two – picking up losing bonus points for finishing within seven points of both Loughborough and Ilkeston.
However, Siddon believes it was his side’s failure to pick up those bonus points earlier this season that is the reason behind them battling to keep their place in the Midlands 1 East, when their expectations at the start of the campaign were far higher.
“Ultimately we want to be playing a level above where we are,” said Siddon. “But it hasn’t gone to plan this year and now we’re battling just to stay in the division.
“Going down wouldn’t be a disaster but it would certainly set us back a couple of years.”
Buzzards started the season with seven consecutive league defeats – coincidentally their first win came against Market Rasen who they meet again on Saturday. And with Spalding visiting title chasing Paviors, another Buzzards win could be priceless.
The game might come too soon for Dan Pearson though. Buzzards’ top scorer has been suffering from a hamstring injury over the last couple of weeks, but is close to a very welcome return.
He signed for the club from Milton Keynes at the end of last season and finds himself in the top 20 try scorers in the whole country.
And Siddon says his return to the team will come at just the right time with Buzzards fighting for survival.
“My gut feeling is that we’ll make it,” said Siddon. “It has been a difficult time, and even training recently hasn’t been easy because of the freezing conditions, but I think we’ll stay up.
“Dan has been in excellent form and hopefully we’ll get back to our best. We’ve got some big games coming up but I think we can do it.”
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Weather for Leighton Buzzard
Thursday 24 May 2012
Today
Sunny spells
Temperature: 12 C to 24 C
Wind Speed: 13 mph
Wind direction: North east
Tomorrow
Sunny
Temperature: 11 C to 24 C
Wind Speed: 21 mph
Wind direction: East
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