University of Gloucestershire (UOG) fourth team player-manager Josh Sneddon-Coombes has admitted he cares more about performances than results before his side face UDA on Wednesday.
The team fell to a lacklustre 4-1 defeat to Aberystwyth last week and now lie on just three points from three league fixtures so far this campaign. Their only victory of the season came on the opening day against USW’s fifth team, with that result seeming like a lifetime ago to Sneddon-Coombes.
The 21-year-old, who was appointed player-manager ahead of the season, explained why last week went so wrong to Park Life Sport.
“It was a disappointing result and a disappointing performance,” he said. “We weren’t at the standard we should be. We tried to work on fixing things at training and I’m just hoping for a more positive performance against UDA.
“We need to be better both on and off the ball, and work ethic is needed as a few players were lazy throughout the game last week and that needs to improve.”
The side have the chance to bounce straight back against UDA on Wednesday 14 December, and Sneddon-Coombes is hopeful that his team can produce a better display than against Aberystwyth.
“It’s hard to tell what to expect from UDA,” he admitted. “They’ve only played once this season and it was a defeat, but it’s hard to read too much into that. We’re expecting a tough game as we played them in pre-season and they were a good side, very well drilled.
“I think they’re going to work hard, play good football and try to beat us on the floor. But, I think that if we play how I know we can then I’m confident.”
But, Sneddon-Coombes has been stricken as several starters have dropped out, with midfielder Jamie Monks and forward Abiodun Odewale among the absentees for the clash with local rivals UDA, who also play their games in Gloucester.
However, Sneddon-Coombes has been able to call upon the help of several players from the third-team, which is something he believes will be a great boost for the side. “Fortunately for us there are players available of good quality and they’ll hopefully come in and fix a few of the gaps we’ve got from last Wednesday. They’ll bring experience too, which will be massive for our side,” he revealed.
With just three games left of the 2022/23 BUCS season, Sneddon-Coombes has acknowledged that hopes of promotion are all-but ended with the focus now on how the team plays.
“I’m just hoping for good performances to end the season, I’m not too fussed about results,” the 21-year-old admitted. “I want my team to be working hard, trying the right things and I won’t be angry whatever happens.”
The UOG fourth team are currently in fifth place in the Aldi Men’s Western Tier Six and have the chance to extend their advantage over UDA and USW’s sixth team to six points on Wednesday.
