Peaks wants Diamonds to tighten things up

Jack Ashton scored AFC Rushden & Diamonds' second goal as they beat Barwell 2-0 on the opening day of the season. The two teams meet in the reverse fixture at Hayden Road this weekend. Picture courtesy of HawkinsImages

Andy Peaks has warned his AFC Rushden & Diamonds players they will need to tighten up defensively when they take on Barwell at Hayden Road tomorrow (Saturday).

Diamonds enjoyed a winning start to 2020 as they claimed a 4-3 success at St Ives Town on New Year’s Day thanks to goals from Nabil Shariff, Nathan Hicks, Zack Reynolds and Liam Dolman.

And while Peaks was pleased with the victory, he conceded his team made life hard for themselves.

Diamonds claimed a 2-0 win at Barwell on the opening day of the season and currently sit five points outside the play-off places in the BetVictor Southern League Premier Central.

And Peaks said: “We aren’t a million miles outside the play-offs, I keep saying that.

“You need to string two or three results together and we have followed up a good point at Bromsgrove with a win so we are heading in the right direction.

“But tomorrow is going to be a bigger test because Barwell are really good going forward and we will have to defend a lot better than we did at St Ives.

“I told the lads that after the game, they took it on board and they probably thought I was being a bit grumpy.

“I just felt it was a game I shouldn’t have been biting my nails about. But they will learn from that.

“We got the win and it sets us up nicely for Barwell. We beat them on the first day of the season and I am sure they will want to avenge that.”