Margy says: Stick together and stay solid

Following three consecutive defeats, FC United desperately need a win tonight against the already relegated Burscough to get our promotion push back on track and manager Karl Marginson has asked everyone at the club to, ‘stick together and stay solid’.

After forcing their way into the play-off places with four wins out of five including one away at nearest rivals Hednesford, the Reds have slipped to three shock defeats by the odd goal to Buxton, Ashton United and Matlock Town over an eight day period.

The results have left FC United three points outside of the play-off zone with two games to go, meaning that our promotion aspirations are now dependent on the results and fates of other clubs.

Wednesday’s fixture at Gigg Lane against Hednesford is a must-win for Margy’s men if they are to have any chance of catching the Pitmen, who also finish the season with two home games, against North Ferriby and Worksop.

FC United have been thrown a life line though with the statement issued last Friday by the League advising that, due to non-compliance with certain financial rules, second placed Northwich Victoria’s membership of the Evo-Stik League has been terminated with effect from the end of the season and they will not be allowed to take place in the promotion play-offs.

It is understood, however, that Northwich are appealing against this decision and as a result it is likely that the promotion play-offs will be delayed in order to allow the club time to mount a defence against the League’s findings.

Should the League’s decision be upheld, then the clubs in places second to sixth, excluding Northwich, will compete in the play-offs, meaning United need just one more point from their final two games to nullify the threat of seventh placed Marine, who have just one game left away to the newly crowned champions, Chester this Saturday.

But as always, United will only want to concentrate on the task in hand and that is winning both of their last two games of the league campaign, starting with Burscough on Wednesday and followed by the Northwich, who visit Gigg Lane on Saturday.

Margy, who returns from a two game touchline suspension on Wednesday, said: “We have had a bad run of results and it is no coincidence it has happened while we missed two of our most influential players.

“Michael Norton and Dean Stott have missed the last three games and we have lost all of them, which tells its own story. We know we have the players who are easily good enough to get us out of this league and it is time to start proving it by getting back to winning ways.

“The players were gutted to lose on Saturday at Matlock, especially because of the excellent support we once again had. They feel they owe the fans a performance and hopefully Wednesday will be it. Burscough will come here with no pressure on, having been relegated, so they will enjoy it. We need to stick together and stay solid, rather than panicking like we have a bit recently.???

FC United of Manchester versus Burscough is this Wednesday at Gigg Lane with kick-off at 7.45pm. It’s pay on the gate with prices £8 for adults, £5 concessions and £2 for under-18s. Get yourself to that football ground and cheer the lads over the finishing line.