Felixstowe & Walton skipper Rhys Barber says there is no panic in his team’s dressing room despite their defeat to Wroxham on Saturday.
The Yachtsmen beat the league leaders 1-0 at a wet Goldstar Ground. It was the Seasiders’ first home defeat of the season.
It opens up the Thurlow Nunn Premier division title race, with Coggeshall now in striking distance of the east Suffolk side – the Essex side are 18 points behind with six games in hand. Tonight Felixstowe entertain Great Yarmouth in a league clash.
“We’ve been here before this season and we just need to get that winning run going again,” Barber said.
“The first match of the season saw us thrashed by Brantham in the FA Cup and then we nearly lost to Stowmarket. But we got through that.
“Every team has bad periods and we are having a bit of bad period at the moment.
“But we will bounce back from Saturday. It was a frustrating game against a side with a new management team. We’ve got everything in the dressing room to beat teams.
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“Yes, Coggeshall have the games in hand but we have the points on the board and I would always rather have that.”
Felixstowe & Walton have led the table virtually all season, extending their lead at the top in impressive style.
But it was a defeat at Stowmarket just before Christmas and a shock Boxing Day loss at Ipswich Wanderers that halted their advance to what most saw as an inevitable title victory.
Their defeat to Wroxham on Saturday was their fourth in the league all season – three in their last eight games.
But Barber says his side will get back to winning ways.
“The game with Yarmouth is far from a ‘must-win’. But obviously we want to get a run going again,” he said.
“We still have to play Coggeshall as well. That will be a huge game.”
Coggeshall have lost two of their last three Premier Division games - to Histon and Brantham, but look favourties, along with Felixstowe & Walton, to gain one of the two promotion spots this season.
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Fourth-placed Stowmarket, with two games in hand on third-placed Brantham, will have a say in that, especially with Coggeshall having to visit Brantham and Felixstowe.
Meanwhile, Brantham’s single goal defeat to Long Melford on Saturday was a blow for the Blue Imps, who have been in good form of late.
At the bottom – and with four set to be relegated – time is running out for Ipswich Wanderers and Wivenhoe Town, while Fakenham will need to pick up victories soon.
Hadleigh currently occupy the fourth spot and are at least within touching distance of fifth-bottom Haverhill Borough.
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