Diamonds facing a '˜massive' Easter weekend

AFC Rushden & Diamonds' fans head for the exit after a late goal sent their team to a 2-1 home defeat to Uxbridge - their fourth loss in a row. Picture by Alison Bagley

Diamonds have a key home clash with Northwood at the Dog & Duck on Saturday before they head to Arlesey Town on Easter Monday.

They will head into the double-header on the back of fourth successive defeat after they slipped to a 2-1 home loss to Uxbridge at the weekend.

Diamonds now sit in the final play-off spot in the Evo-Stik Southern League Division One Central with the likes of Aylesbury and Northwood chasing hard behind them.

Boss Peaks believes his players’ confidence has taken a knock following their poor run of form, which has seen them drop from the top of the table to fifth place.

And he knows the Easter weekend will be crucial if they are to keep their hopes of a second successive promotion alive.

“Confidence is always going to take a knock when you are used to winning matches and then, all of sudden, you’re not,” the Diamonds boss said.

“We just have to keep the belief. I still feel we have good players here.

“There are going to be points won and lost by everyone but for me it’s about us getting our ship in order.

“We have got to start picking points up because if we don’t then it makes everything else irrelevant. Hopefully, that starts against Northwood and that’s what we will prepare for now.

“It’s a massive weekend, we have to turn things around over Easter.

“We have games on Saturday and Monday and we have got to pick points up and see where we are in the table after that.”