Needham Market boss Richard Wilkins knows his side need a win to get their season back on track.
The Marketmen shot to the top of Southern Premier Division Central table after a stunning start to the campaign and two big victories over Hitchin Town and Bedworth United back in August.
But that seems a long time ago now and Needham haven’t won a league game since – drawing three.
On Saturday, they entertain Rushden & Diamonds at Bloomfields in a game Wilkins would very much like to get something out of.
“Yes, I think it’s fair to say we could do with a win,” he said.
“There have been plenty of good signs in recent weeks. But things just haven’t been going our way of late.
“Back in August when we won both those games against Hitchin and Bedworth practically 70% of everything we did came off, shots, crosses and goals.
“That’s not the same now and we are not getting the rub of the green.
“But it happens, we need to cut out individual errors because at the moment we are battling well in every game but being punished for any mistake.
“So long as we keep working hard in training and on match days I’m confident things will begin to turn.”
Needham have slipped to 14th in the table and come up against a Rushden side who are a former Football League club.
The new league Needham, Leiston and Lowestoft find themselves in is proving a real test, as Wilkins admitted.
“Step three football is tough,” he said.
“There are no hiding places and there are some big clubs in this league like Rushden and Kettering.
“The likes of ourselves and Leiston have done well to get to where we are in the pyramid.
“Sometimes people need to take a step back and look at how far Needham, and Leiston for that matter, have come.
“Getting to Step 2 is very tough, but we will keep pushing.”
Rushden currently sit just below Needham in the table, a point behind the Suffolk side, but with a game in hand.
Needham are out of the League Cup after losing to penalties on Tuesday night at Victory Road.
“There were a lot of positives from the game for us at Leiston,” Wilkins added.
“We rested a few players and others took their opportunities.”
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