THOMAS BAILLIE stressed Stratford Town need to remain upbeat and keep working to rediscover their form.
Town have failed to score in five of their last six matches after a 0-0 stalemate in last weekend’s trip to Barwell left them with one win in six.
However, they lie only one place outside the play-offs zone in Southern Premier Central, level on points with fourth-placed AFC Rushden & Diamonds, who head to the Arden Garages Stadium on Saturday.
Diamonds took the points when the sides met last month but head of football Baillie says his squad are giving everything to reverse their dip in form.
He hopes the point at Barwell can spark an upturn for the run-in as six teams realistically chase three play-off places behind champions-elect Kettering Town and Stourbridge, who look destined for runners-up spot.
“We’ve had a couple of poor results in our last two games and it was important we didn’t lose again at Barwell,” Baillie told the Stratford Town Independent Supports Association.
“We had a few chances in the first half with Kynan Isaac hitting the woodwork just as he had done the previous week at Hitchin, but otherwise we didn’t really threaten.
“Basically we are not creating enough and we are not doing enough. All over the park we not playing at anywhere near the levels we were playing at a few weeks ago.
“We ended the game with three strikers on the pitch and yet we never looked like scoring and we simply have to do better with our finishing.
“So we have to keep working to turn it around.”
After the visit by Diamonds, Stratford face another crunch test against one of their rivals, with a trip to Coalville Town, who currently occupy fifth place, next Saturday,
It was another frustrating afternoon for Town at Kirkby Road last weekend.
Stratford had the better of the opportunities, with Dan Creaney heading straight at Barwell keeper Liam Castle early on and then Isaac slamming a shot against the upright on 19 minutes after pouncing on a defensive mistake.
Town keeper Laurence Bilboe twice denied the Canaries, saving from Danny Durkin and Jake Whitmore before half-time, but chances continued to be at a premium in the second period.
Ross Oulton’s free kick was comfortably gathered by Castle and Wilson Carvalho’s shot was blocked in front of goal, but Barwell had a late chance, only for Henry Eze’s deflected effort to drift wide.
