Fogarty gives frosty response to postponement

Fogarty had been on a family trip to Holland when Saints lost 2-1 at home to Earlswood Town the week before and was keen to get their promotion bid back on track at bottom-club Wood.

But despite the pitch at Pelsall Villa just three miles away being playable, the match was called off at 11am, one of only two fixtures in the top three divisions of the Athium Midland Combination to fall foul of the weather.

“There is nothing we can do about it, but everyone was raring to go and this was a chance to put the Earlswood result behind us and build some momentum going into the new year,” said Fogarty.

“We had Tunde Ajibade back in the squad after suspension and fancied our chances of three points.”

Winning the league is now the only goal for Saints this season after exiting all six cups that they competed in.

Particularly disappointing was the loss to Alvis in the Coventry Telegraph Challenge Cup, dashing hopes of retaining the trophy they won last May.

Fogarty is pleased with the overall strength of his squad but is still looking for one or two new faces to bolster the promotion challenge.

His immediate aim, though, is to get all the squad back in action, with experienced defender Quentin Townsend having just one more match to sit out through suspension and goalkeeper Jim Stott well on the road to recovery from injury.

“Jim is looking good in training and, with Matt Oliver having done so well in his absence, there will be real competition for the jersey,” said Fogarty.

With leaders Bolehall Swifts and third-placed Castle Vale both losing for the second week running and in-form Continental Star hammered 5-0 at Coventry Copsewood, the title race is wide open.

Despite having slipped to fifth, Saints have matches in hand and can start the push at home to Castle Vale JKS tomorrow (3pm).