Kinniburgh hopes to set up a Steelmen promotion push

Cameron Healey's loan spell at Corby Town has been extended for a further month until January 21

The Steelmen moved into third place in the Evo-Stik League South after Visan-Vasile Cretu’s second-half goal earned them a hard-fought 1-0 success at bottom side Romulus last weekend.

Saturday’s clash sparks a run of four games in nine days with a local derby at Stamford on Boxing Day (1pm), being followed by a tough test at unbeaten leaders Basford United next weekend before Bedworth United visit Steel Park on New Year’s Day.

And Kinniburgh, who claimed his 10th win in 13 league matches since taking caretaker charge last weekend, knows a good haul from the next four games will set his team up for a promotion push in 2018.

“We are heading into that period we have already spoken,” Kinniburgh said.

“I believe that after all these games over Christmas and the new year, we will have an idea of who is going to be challenging for the play-off places and the second automatic promotion spot.

“We have to deal with a busy time and we will use the whole squad to get through it.

“If we can come out of this period with a good points tally then it sets us up nicely for the new year.

“But we have to focus on the first one and we have a home game against a team who are out of form at the moment.

“We want to start this run of four games properly and we have to make sure we are fully prepared for it.

“Spalding might be out of form but they still have one of the league’s top scorers and they have other players in there who have quality.

“So we have to approach it in the right manner, taking in all aspects of our game and we have to make sure we are right at it.”

The Steelmen, meanwhile, have extended the loan of young Mansfield Town midfielder Cameron Healey until January 21.

And Kinniburgh is hoping that deal could even be extended for the remainder of the season when the next conversation with the Sky Bet League Two club takes place.

“Cameron is taking his first steps into adult football and I think it’s fair to say that it took him two or three games to find his feet,” he added.

“I think there is plenty more to come from him and he will get the chance to show that with us over the next month.

“We are delighted Mansfield have agreed to it and we will hopefully have a conversation with them towards the end of the next month to see whether it can be extended for the whole season.”