Kennedy keen to keep Tigers' season alive

With the NCEL Premier Division having just one promotion place and no play-offs, and with Worksop 28 points behind leaders Cleethorpes, any hopes of going up look dead and relegation too seems almost impossible given the gap between Tigers and the bottom three.

All of that could cause motivation to be a problem for Kennedy and his players, but he believes there is still a need for them to perform.

He said: “It’s a pride thing as much as anything else. We know we should have done better in the league and in the cups and it’s important we show the fans that we care and want to put ourselves in a good position for next season.

“The lads who have remained here want to do the best they can and although it won’t go our way some days, we just want to get up the league and finish as high as possible.

“Step five is difficult with only one team going up. If there was a play-off system then the season would be galvanised because you’d suddenly have another ten or 11 teams fancying their chances if they could put a good run together towards the end.

“But the club has half an eye on next season now, both on and off the pitch, so I’ve told the players that if they want to have a chance of being part of the future plans they need to perform.”

The home game with title-challengers Pickering was called off last weekend, Tigers then heading to Staveley Miners Welfare on Wednesday night for a local derby.

This Saturday sees Bottesford Town the hosts.

Kennedy said: “It was frustrating not to play on Saturday as it becomes a routine and that can be hampered by not playing, but hopefully we’ll not end up with a backlog later on as that won’t help anyone.”

Meanwhile, Worksop have registered U21 goalkeeper Callum Fielding as a first team player to form backup for Kennedy, while winger Charlie Dawes has left to join Handsworth Parramore.