Diamonds in ‘a good place’ and will ‘reset’ during unscheduled winter break

Diamonds were 3-1 winners at Corby Town on New Year's Day, and they are not back in action until a week on Saturday when they entertain Sutton Coldfield Town on January 17.

The team are effectively having their own little winter break, and Sandy sees that as a positive as he looks at 'a reset' before launching into the second half of the Pitching-In Northern Premier League Midlands Division season.

Diamonds have enjoyed a mixed first five months of the campaign, and they currently sit 14th in the table, seven points off the play-off places, as well as being seven points above the drop zone.

"It has been a real slog in the first half of the season, and we have put ourselves in a half decent position and now it is about building on that," said Sandy.

"So we are going to reset, we have a few players who have been carrying knocks, and it gives us a bit of time to get them 100 per cent.

"We will probably look in the market as well to see if there are any lads available to help strengthen us for the second half of the season. But we are in a good place.

"We had a bit of a wobble in December, we haven't been at our fluid best, but we drew at Basford and probably should have won.

"Wellingborough was disappointing (Diamonds lost 1-0 on Boxing Day), but we have gone to Shepshed and won who are a good side and now we have gone to Corby and won, so we have come out of it not too bad.

"We now have this reset and Sutton Coldfield will be tough, although we owe them one for the game at their place, so we just have to prepare for that.

"We will probably try and get a friendly in as well because we do need to get a game in and we will stick together, because we are moving in the right direction."

Sandy also took time out to praise his skipper and two-goal hero at Steel Park, Joel Nketia.

The central midfielder netted early in both halves before Bruno Andrade sealed the points in stoppage time at the end of the game.

Sandy was delighted with Nketia's performance, but believes there is more to come from the player.

"Since Joel has come back from his injury he has been carrying it a little bit and fighting through it and getting through," Sandy told @AFCRD.

"That has shown in his form, it has been a bit patchy, but the one thing you get is desire, work-rate, hunger and that leadership.

"For a young man stepping up to AFC Rushden & Diamonds, a big club with a big fanbase, he has taken to it and on derby day when you need to call on somebody, there he is. There is your skipper, scoring two great goals."

Sandy has confirmed that Joe Davies has returned to Peterborough United after his loan spell, and revealed he is close to bringing in a couple of players before the Sutton game

Bruno Andrade’s 13th goal of the season against Corby last week moves him into the AFCRD all-time top 20, and with 25 goal involvements already who would bet against him scoring a further 11 goals to reach the top 10?

Additional reporting by Chris Barritt