Gloucester City manager Lee Mansell provides an update as his side looks to extend their unbeaten run with a win over Blyth Spartans this weekend.
After last week’s goalless draw home to Boston United left Mansell frustrated, the manager is looking to his forwards to step up and deliver in order to bring all three points back to New Meadow Park.
City’s recent defensive improvements see them tied with league leaders Brackley Town in terms of form over the last five games with only three other teams performing better.
Speaking to ParkLife Sport, Mansell said: “I think the players have really adapted to the methods that we want to use, and they’ve also got a lot more confident as it’s gone on in terms of a defensive aspect. We’ve done a lot of work on that, a lot of unit work and obviously, we’ve changed our shape a couple of times and we’ve now found a formula that suits the personnel we’ve got at the club.”
Although goals have been hard to come by of late, the double addition of loanees Ollie Hulbert and Lucas Tomlinson from Bristol Rovers have played an integral part so far in the attack, with Tomlinson regularly deployed behind the two strikers.
Mansell praised the pair saying: “In that 10 position he gives us some athleticism, he breaks the lines, he’s comfortable with the ball and gets in good pockets.
“Ollie, his returns speak for themselves and it doesn’t surprise me that Ollie has managed to go on this type of run, nine In 13, and the kids still kicking himself that he’s not 13 in 13, that’s the high standards that he’s got.”
The last time the two sides met in October 2020, the Tigers showed their teeth as they were 6-1 winners in a game where Matt McClure scored a first half hat-trick inside 10 minutes. While there are no fresh injury concerns, unfortunately City will be without McClure following his back injury last week.
Mansell provided an update on the injury telling us: “He’s had an ongoing back issue. We seemed to have turned a corner with it then all of a sudden it aggravates and starts up back again so we’ve sent him off for a scan, a full diagnosis of the problem and how to combat it. As soon as we know all the details, we can give an estimated timeline on it and hopefully fix the problem.”
On the back of a 3-2 defeat to Curzon Ashton, Spartans’ manager Terry Mitchell spoke ahead of the fixture by saying: “We have to be on it from minute one, it’s a massive game. They are a team around us and we have to make sure of the win.”
One player City will have to look out for is wing-back JJ O’Donell who has an impressive nine goals this season from being deployed on the left-hand side. The 30-year-old will have to be on top of his game in order to pass Daniel Leadbitter who has been a standout player for City this season in defence.
The game will be played at the home of Blyth Spartans, Croft Park in Northumberland for a 3pm kick-off.
