A third consecutive away trip for the Greens beckons on Saturday, as Matt Evans’s side look to turn around their form against playoff challengers Newark Town.

Enjoying a strong season after promotion last campaign, the Blue Army are looking to make it back-to-back promotions as they currently sit just three points outside of the playoff spots in sixth position, with a game in hand of AFC Mansfield in fifth. Indifferent form as of late has stagnated Newark’s march up the table, as six points out of a possible fifteen has contributed to a slight drop-off. The last meeting between these two sides ended in a 3-0 defeat for Sleaford at The MKM Ground at Eslaforde Park and going by the gap in league position between the two, Saturday’s fixture looks to be no easier for The Greens, who are placed fifteenth.

Another tough test beckons for Sleaford, as one of the challenges facing them is the Peaceful Warriors’ ability to attack, having recorded the fifth best attack in the division. Aiding to that statistic is top scorer Ryan Smith, who has netted 20 goals in 34 outings this campaign and he remains within the top 10 leading goal scorers in the league. Such factors will provide unique challenges for the visitors to combat.

After a rough patch in February, Greens manager Matt Evans is confident in a better March - “We always said February would be hard” he admits, “That’s why it was important that we maximised January, where had it not been for that one own goal against Bourne, we would have gone unbeaten for the month”. “March brings different opportunities” suggests Evans, “We are another month older and players that hadn't had much experience are now at 20 plus games, that means we can start to expect different things from them as we find out who uses their experiences in a positive way”.

The boss is also assured that the squad have the right mindset going into the latter stages of the season – “The group are focused on moving forward, they know the recent results weren't good but also that they are not the only measure of our development” Evans hints, “There are repeated errors that need to stop and there are patterns of play that need to be repeated but, on the whole, we are heading in the right direction”.

The gaffer is also aware of the importance of a short-term fix to turn fortunes around - “It’s imperative that we learn quickly from these experiences.” Acknowledges Evans, “Likewise, we can't rely on individuals to score or protect us, it has to be a whole team commitment to scoring and preventing goals.”

Selection may still be an issue for Saturday, but that can provide new chances - “We've had a bit of illness and a couple of injuries to deal with recently and that's given some opportunities out to others” Evans says, “Jono and Harry are beginning to show signs of recovery, so we hope to see one of them very soon.” “Jack Arbon has worked very hard to get back and as he gets up to full speed, we can start to expect more from him.”

Finally, Matt is pleased about the progress of his players whilst out on loan – “The lads that are out on loan have returned with newfound confidence and have maintained good communication to keep us updated with their progress”.

Written by Oliver Burton