Peaks targets points haul in two home games for AFC Rushden & Diamonds

Action from AFC Rushden & Diamonds' 2-1 defeat at Leiston on Tuesday night. Picture courtesy of Hawkins Images

Andy Peaks knows AFC Rushden & Diamonds should be targeting a decent haul of points as they return to Hayden Road over the next week.

Diamonds returned to Southern League Premier Central action on Tuesday night as they were edged out 2-1 at fifth-placed Leiston.

That came after they had secured back-to-back away league wins at Stratford Town and Hednesford Town while a penalty shoot-out success over Kettering Town in the NFA Hillier Senior Cup was thrown in for good measure.

Diamonds will now look to bounce back from their midweek defeat when they take on Redditch United at Hayden Road tomorrow (Saturday), which is swiftly followed by another home game with Lowestoft Town next Tuesday night.

Redditch sit third from bottom in the table but are just five points behind Diamonds who are currently 11th.

It’s evidence that there is little to choose between the teams in the bottom half of the table.

And Diamonds boss Peaks said: “We hadn’t done particularly well in the home games before we won at Stratford and Hednesford.

“But the boys can take heart from the game against Kettering, who are a decent Step 2 team, because we gave them a real test.

“They have to take the belief from that and take it into the games we have coming up.

“We weren’t brave enough on the ball in previous games where teams have sat back a bit.

“We have to get over Tuesday and focus on what’s coming up.

“The league has taken shape. You have got three or four teams who are ahead and then there’s a little group and then there are 12 teams who are within four or five points of each other.

“It’s a very tight league and it means anyone can beat anyone home or away and it’s just a case of trying to pick the points up where and when you can.

“We will be looking to get points out of the next two games.

“Redditch have had a change within their coaching staff and they’ve won the last couple in cup competitions so they’ve had a lift.

“But we are happy with the way the squad is shaping up and we have to take confidence and strength from the performances in the last three or four weeks.”