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Grantham Town play Lye Town in the Northern Premier League




Manager Nathan Arnold wants to see his young Grantham Town side remain composed when the going gets tough for the Gingerbreads ahead of another crunch clash on Saturday.

Grantham host Lye Town at the Meres looking to close the gap on their relegation rivals in the Northern Premier League Midlands Division.

The bottom-of-the-table Gingerbreads are five points adrift of Saturday's Stourbridge-based visitors with the games starting to run out in their battle for survival.

New Grantham manager Nathan Arnold. Photo: Chris Lowndes
New Grantham manager Nathan Arnold. Photo: Chris Lowndes

Grantham have played the most number of games of all the sides in the bottom half of the table and remain 12 points adrift of safety.

Arnold has now been at the helm for three games and, although he feels there have been a number of positive signs, he wants to see some calmer heads among his young charges.

He said: "We've been competitive in my first three games and it's been really tight but it's just come down to individual errors.

"Once you go behind you have to show an incredible amount of character to get back into it.

"It's an area we need to improve on.

"If we find ourselves in difficult moments in games, we can't panic. We need to keep playing our football and stay composed.

"We're three games in and there's a lot of good signs there but we've also been too precise with our play some times.

"This league is about decision-making and playing the right balls at the right times and sometimes playing the nature of the game.

"It is difficult because there is an urgency around getting results but, at the same time, I do trust the process.

Feyi Afuape. Photo: Chris Lowndes
Feyi Afuape. Photo: Chris Lowndes

"Although the results haven't gone our way in the last three games, there is lots to be positive about and I've got to be really optimistic with the group and keep their heads up."

Grantham have taken the lead in all three of Arnold's matches in charge but have been unable to hold onto their advantage.

They were pegged back for a draw by Shepshed before losing narrowly to Loughborough Students and Coleshill after scoring first.

The Grantham boss added: "We went in front again on Saturday which is a recurring theme but then it's about that game management and having that little bit of experience to stay ahead and control the game better.

"I just felt that, once we scored, we stopped playing. We stopped doing what we had been doing.

"Maybe that is the nature of our season because the group has suffered a lot and come on the wrong side of it.

Freddie Allen, left, after putting Grantham ahead against Loughborough. Photo: Chris Lowndes
Freddie Allen, left, after putting Grantham ahead against Loughborough. Photo: Chris Lowndes

"Going in front and having the confidence to then sustain that and build on it is maybe something that the group as a whole needs to learn and work on."

Sam Muggleton had given Grantham the lead at Coleshill on Saturday but an individual error allowed the hosts to equalise before they grabbed the winner with a second half penalty.

Arnold commented: "It was a disappointing result because obviously we don't want to lose but I felt there were glimpses on the whole, especially in the first half, where we looked a good team.

"The lads, especially in the first half, showed great composure when you've come away from home in tough conditions.

"We had five or six lads under the age of 20, some who have been introduced into men's football for the first time.

"It is to be expected that, if we want to be composed or play a certain way, then we are going to put ourselves at risk at certain times.

"It is a learning curve for some of the lads and, when we conceded the penalty in the second half, it gave us a mountain to climb psychologically.

"When you've been down there for as long as you have that mountain just seems a little bit bigger."

Grantham gave debuts on Saturday to Lincoln City youngsters Denny Oliver and Gbolahan Okewoye following their arrival on work experience from the League One club.

They have been joined by young defender Charlie Parks who has signed from the Imps on a similar arrangement.

Grantham have also extended the loan of Freddie Allen from Doncaster Rovers until the end of the season.

Allen scored his first goal for the Gingerbreads in their recent home defeat to Loughborough Students.

The Gingerbreads played a friendly at United Counties League side Lincoln United on Tuesday night with Feyi Afuape scoring their goal in a 1-1 draw.



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