Diamonds boss Peaks focused on the next big game

Andy Peaks insists he and his AFC Rushden & Diamonds side are solely focused on their clash at Cambridge City this weekend.
Boss Andy Peaks and captain Liam Dolman will be hoping to lead AFC Rushden & Diamonds to another win in their promotion bid this weekendBoss Andy Peaks and captain Liam Dolman will be hoping to lead AFC Rushden & Diamonds to another win in their promotion bid this weekend
Boss Andy Peaks and captain Liam Dolman will be hoping to lead AFC Rushden & Diamonds to another win in their promotion bid this weekend

Having gone on a run of six games without a win, Diamonds have responded with two crucial victories in the past few days as a 4-1 success over Aylesbury United last weekend was followed by a narrow 1-0 verdict against AFC Dunstable at Hayden Road on Tuesday night as Ben Farrell’s 83rd-minute penalty proved decisive.

Those wins mean that, due to their superior goal difference, Diamonds require two wins from their final three matches to secure one of the two automatic promotion places in the Evo-Stik South League East.

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Tomorrow's (Saturday) clash at Cambridge, who play their home games at St Ives Town, is followed by back-to-back matches at Hayden Road against Aylesbury and Ashford Town (Middx) to round off the campaign.

But Peaks is looking no further ahead than this weekend.

“We know that two wins out of the next three games would pretty much guarantee us promotion but, for me, the next game is Cambridge,” the Diamonds boss said.

“When we had that bit of a blip over the last few weeks, I continually said that the next game was always the most important and that’s still the right way to go.

“Two wins in the last few days will give us some massive momentum again and we will look forward to a tough game at Cambridge.

“They have some good players and it’s not going to be easy.

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“We are in a good position and I am now focused on Saturday because we still have some big games to play.”

Peaks, meanwhile, piled the praise on his players after they bounced back from their barren run.

And he believes their hard work has helped turn things back in their favour.

“I have been pleased with these boys over the whole season,” Peaks added.

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“I have said all the way through that we have a good group of not just players but characters as well.

“We had a bit of a sticky spell but they played well in those games and never looked a beaten side in any of them and always gave us everything.

“I told them the luck would turn and things have gone for us in the past couple of games.

“I am a firm believer that if you do the right things, keep working hard and stick to your principles then things turn around and that’s the way it’s been."