Diamonds seeking a positive return to action

AFC Rushden & Diamonds boss Andy Peaks is hoping his team can return to action with a win at Hanwell Town this weekend

Diamonds’ last two Evo-Stik South League East matches have been postponed but they are set to return to action at 19th-placed Hanwell Town tomorrow (Saturday).

Despite their inactivity for the past two weekends, Peaks’ team remain on top of the table on goal difference from AFC Dunstable while also having two games in hand.

And now, with the all-important festive period approaching, the Diamonds boss is hoping his team can get back into the swing of things by recording a seventh league win in a row.

“It’s been frustrating to have a couple of weeks off but hopefully we will be back out there tomorrow,” Peaks, whose team have also kept five successive clean sheets, said.

“It’s a game we need to go and get three points from.

“I have watched Hanwell two or three times when scouting other teams and they don’t concede many goals, they don’t give a lot away and they work really hard.

“But we are ready to play and we want to get back at it with a good result.

“It’s nice to look at the table after not playing for a couple of weeks and see that we are still sitting in a really good position.

“We have points on the board and we have some good players but we know there is a long, long way to go and no-one is getting carried away.”

Peaks is able to boast a clean bill of health for his squad ahead of tomorrow's clash, which bodes well for the Christmas period as Diamonds host Kempston Rovers on Boxing Day before heading to Bedford Town on New Year’s Day.

“Sometimes when you don’t have a game for a couple of weeks it can be a good thing if you have a couple of injuries that need resting up,” he added.

“But we have been fortunate. We have had 16 or 17 players fit and ready for the last couple of weeks and that’s the case again this weekend.”