Media Watch - Yate Town

The big news from Lodge Road is the recent appointment of former Weston-Super-Mare manager Craig Laird as the Bluebells new boss and he would have been impressed with a winning home start against Larkhall, who despite this setback remained in the last of the play-off places.

Chairman Colin Pick said recently: "We are delighted to announce the appointment of Craig Laird as our new first-team manager. Craig brings with him a wealth of experience having undertaken management roles at Weston-super-Mare, Bridgwater Town and more recently at Weymouth.

“Our new management team have specifically been chosen as they possess the quality and capabilities to align and grow the club’s football philosophy. Both were attracted to the club because of our fantastic youth development section and are keen to build upon the tremendous success our under-18’s have achieved so far this season.

"In return Craig brings with him established contacts with local teams and academies across the South West region along with his excellent management record. I am really excited for the future of the club and I look forward to working with Craig, Rob and Nigel to move this club forward with new ideas and developing our youth policies.”

Laird has advised that he was attracted by the potential of the club and the structure that is being implemented to ensure we have the best chance of success. Laird will be re-united with Rob Boyd as his assistant-manager - the pair having worked together at Weston.

As for the game itself, it’s going to be a tough one. Yate will work hard as they always do, but they will be trying twice as hard as they attempt to impress the new management team. Shortwood was something of a reminder to us that all of the games at this stage of the season are really awkward. It’s another difficult place to go but we did just enough to take a point in the end. Our performance this weekend will probably have to be better to win against Yate, where our recent record is quite good with three wins on our last three visits to Lodge Road.

While they’ve always been difficult opponents to beat, I think it would be fair to say that the new manager factor could have a significant impact. We’ve often seen the opposition set out to frustrate us, rather than going for the win, but the Yate players will have a point to prove to Laird and will be playing for their futures at the club. And, in fairness, they’ve certainly got both the players and the form to do that. At the very least it should make for an expansive game of football as they still harbour outside thoughts of reaching the play-offs.

They’re just 6 points behind Larkhall, who travel to play us next weekend and to have any chance of sneaking into the top five they need to take all three points off us at the weekend.

We also need the points to secure ‘home’ advantage in the Championship play-off game against Kettering who won the Southern League Central Division on Monday, despite the fact that they lost 0-3 at Rugby.

Craig Laird hoping Yate can discover another player like Tyrone Mings
Bristol Evening Post

Yate Town manager Craig Laird has said it would be brilliant to see another Tyrone Mings come through the first team at Lodge Road.

Speaking to the Bristol Post after Monday's 3-0 win against Larkhall – his second victory in the two games he has been in charge at the club – Laird said he has always asked for his players to show ambition and drive and believes another Mings, pictured, could be lurking in the shadows.

Mings, 22, spent the 2011-12 season at Yate before moving to Chippenham Town. He was then picked up by Ipswich, where he's become a key player for the Championship outfit.

The defender has been on the radar of Premier League side Arsenal and has also been in the news this week for helping to pay off his mother's debts.

Laird said: "If we could bring through another Tyrone Mings then that would be brilliant, wouldn't it? They come along every now and again those players, and Tyrone Mings has done tremendously well for himself. I'm sure along the way there will be players who will play for Yate and then also go on and play at a higher level. But we're early in our tenureship at the moment to predict that it will happen. But the Bristol area is strong for players, Yate especially, and I'm sure there is another Tyrone Mings out there. It would be massively rewarding for a player that I manage to go on and play higher. I think ambition is something these younger guys must keep hold of."

Laird will hope to make it a hat-trick of Southern League Division One South & West victories tomorrow when his side host Merthyr Town, whose 9-0 hammering of Bishop's Cleeve on Easter Monday assured them the title.

Laird added: "They might already be champions, but we want to be party-poopers. We will welcome them here and congratulate them, but we are still in the hunt for a play-off, so we need to win for our own reasons."

Wake-up call may benefit Evesham
Evesham Journal

EVESHAM United manager Paul Collicutt is hoping the first-half of Easter Monday’s match against Wantage Town will act as a wake-up call for his team ahead of the play-offs.

Although the Robins won 5-2 at the Jubilee Stadium to stretch their winning run to seven games, they trailed 2-0 inside 17 minutes to a team just above the Evo-Stik Southern League Division One South and West relegation zone.

With three games left to seal either second or third spot, which would give them home advantage in the play-offs, Collicutt knows they can’t afford any more slip-ups ahead of tomorrow’s trip to sixth-placed Didcot Town (3pm).

“We had a bit of a blip on Monday and it really woke my players up and hopefully it is a kick up the backside,” the Evesham boss said. “It’s easy to criticise players but how can I do that when they have played so admirably over the last 25 games? But it could give us a gee-up going into these important matches. Our run-in is very hard but the lads have done well so far. I want to finish as high as we can in the league. We are guaranteed fourth spot and if you had offered me that at the start of the season I would have taken it. But now we are chasing second and third positions because it gives you home advantage in the play-offs.”

Didcot won 3-1 at the Jubilee Stadium back in September and have also beaten champions Merthyr this season. Defender Lewis Binns (ankle) and midfielders Ollie Knowles (back) and Sean Wood (ankle) all face fitness tests for Evesham before tomorrow’s match.

Merthyr Town target 100 points after securing Southern League South and West title
Wales On Line

Newly-crowned Evostik Southern League South and West Division champions Merthyr could be forgiven for being in party mood when they travel to Yate Town.

The Martyrs wrapped up the title and promotion to the Premier Division on Easter Monday but manager Steve Jenkins is keen for his side to keep their foot on the gas. Merthyr have three League fixtures left and after today they finish with home games against Larkhall Athletic and Stratford Town.

They will be presented with the championship trophy when Stratford visit Penydarren Park on Saturday, April 25. They will play Central Division title winners Kettering in a one-off battle for a championship play-off trophy on Saturday, May 2. Merthyr are likely to be at home for that clash.

The team with most points over the season is given home advantage and Merthyr are on 95 with three matches left, seven more than Kettering.

The Martyrs would love to finish with more than 100 points for the season, while their top five scorers have netted 98 between them in all competititions and are on course for a century.