Caretaker boss Matt Chatfield to lead Grantham Town on Saturday against Stalybridge Celtic

Caretaker boss Matt Chatfield wants to galvanise Grantham Town for the relegation run-in as the Gingerbreads aim to beat the drop from the Northern Premier League Premier Division.

Chatfield has taken the reins at the Meres Stadium after the club decided to part company with former Boston United boss Dennis Greene over the weekend.

The interim manager has been assistant to both Greene and Carlton Palmer this season and takes over a Grantham side that are currently 11 points adrift of safety with just eight matches of the campaign remaining.

They host an out-of-form Stalybridge Celtic this weekend looking to avenge a 5-0 away defeat in the reverse fixture in October.

Chatfield said: “We are in a precarious position but there’s still a chance and we have to make sure that we now galvanise the squad to try and get us through these games and get as many points as we can.

“I’ve had previous experience of a relegation fight at a former club when I was manager at AFC Bolsover.

“We were bottom of the table at Christmas with zero points but we still survived on the last game of the season after getting 38 points in the last 18 games so nothing is impossible.

“We had a training session on Tuesday night and that was implemented into the lads that our priority is to get three points on Saturday.

“We can then assess what has happened after that and look at our next game against Nantwich on Tuesday.”

Saturday’s match against 17th-placed Stalybridge will see the Gingerbreads aiming to record their third win from the last four home games after finally ending their long search for success at the Meres.

They won an epic encounter with Ashton last month before bouncing back from their defeat against Witton with a home triumph over Morpeth.

Chatfield added: “Our problem this season has been the lack of consistency. We have had a bit of bad luck and not winning at home has been our problem.

“Our away form has been very good but, not being able to win at home, has killed the buzz around us.

“Sometimes with a manager leaving you get that next game buzz so you never know that could happen on Saturday.

“But we will do everything we can to make sure it’s not about the buzz but by beating them on merit and playing better football.”

The Gingerbreads will again be without star striker Ricky Miller on Saturday due to injury while James Williamson broke his hand in last weekend’s defeat at Bamber Bridge.

Jonathan Wafula is also suspended but Chatfield is unlikely to bring in many new players ahead of next week’s transfer deadline as he looks to bring stability to the side.

He continued: “The problem we have had this season is that we’ve used 60 or 70 players which hasn’t helped us get a settled side.

“We’ve got a couple of injuries and suspensions for this weekend but it gives other people the opportunity to step up now.

“We could dip in and bring a couple of players in but I don’t really see the point in it.

“The squad is more than competitive enough to do it and we just have to keep settled now with the team we’ve got.”

Chatfield will continue to be assisted by former Sheffield Wednesday goalkeeper Kevin Pressman and ex-Boston United coach Martyn Bunce who remain part of the management team.

The former AFC Mansfield boss is now looking for a winning start to his tenure on Saturday to reward the club’s faithful for their support this season.

He continued: “It would be a lovely start to win your first game because everyone deserves it around the club.

“Our support has been absolutely magnificent this season and those fans that come home and away deserve to see Grantham flourish and hopefully we can bring that for the final eight games of the season.

“I have got Grantham in my heart and I have a good rapport with the lads and hopefully that will come across and we can pick up any extra per cent from it to try and beat Stalybridge on Saturday.”