Chelmsford Sport
Pennyfather: Business as usual despite the weather
12:44pm Wednesday 8th February 2012
DESPITE having their home clash with Weston-super-Mare postponed due to a frozen pitch last weekend, Chelmsford City manager Glenn Pennyfather insists it’s business as usual for his squad as they aim to reinforce their position in the Blue Square Bet South top five with victory at Dorchester Town.
While snow and sub-zero temperatures have caused havoc to the recent local sporting schedule, Glenn explained that the Clarets’ players have been largely unaffected apart from missing Saturday’s match.
Now he hopes the worst of the conditions have passed so they can return to their task of securing promotion.
“We never miss a session as calling off training is our very last thought,” he said.
“It’d be easy to say ‘it’s snowing’ but we want to be that team that keeps training and we were still in on Saturday even though there was no game.
“Every minute we get together is vitally important, whether that’s training inside or outside.”
The Weston fixture was a casualty of a rock hard Melbourne pitch as early as Friday afternoon, meaning a new midweek date has to be found.
Glenn said: “During the week you start to realise it’s not going to happen, but the positive is that it’s a game everyone’s got in hand as nobody was playing and stealing a march on us!”
“We all just move the fixtures on and it was important that we didn’t fall behind with our games while we were in the cups, which we haven’t done.
“They have to travel to us midweek now, and if the boot was on the other foot we wouldn’t have liked that. But they’re going well and we’ll be under no illusions when we meet them.”
He’ll have his fingers crossed that this Saturday’s 3pm kick-off in Dorset fares better as City meet an in-form Dorchester.
“You’re looking around again to see who’s going to be playing and what the weather’s going to be like,” Pennyfather added.
“Dorchester is as tough a place as you can go and they’ve got themselves into a decent position on merit. I have no targets other than winning the next game each time.”
The week off has enabled several “walking wounded” to rest their respective injuries, including defenders Adam Tann and Justin Miller.
In midfield, Sam Corcoran would have been able to return from suspension against Weston, while popular winger Anthony Cook continues to recuperate from a recent operation.
Glenn revealed: “It would have been touch and go whether Tanny or Justin would have played, so maybe it was a blessing in disguise.
“Cooky has been brilliant, too. I’ve never known anybody like him, having to deal with what he’s been through.
“He was given the all clear to start training again and within 24 hours he’s in the gym! We’ll give him some programmes to get on with under the supervision of his specialist.”
The Chelmsford boss has seen players come and go since Christmas, with some departing for more opportunities on a pitch elsewhere.
The most recent was wide man Kevin McLeod this week but young forward Alex Osborn – on loan from Dagenham & Redbridge – and new striker Chris Bryan from Heybridge Swifts have added to a squad environment which Pennyfather rates as crucial.
“The players I’ve brought in are real assets,” he continued.
“I need them to really push those who already have the shirts and a few have departed as they weren’t getting playing time. Whether we’re stronger in that department than before Christmas remains to be seen.
“People often want to see you sign an established name from the Football League but they’ve got to have that appetite and desire to bust a gut for the team.”
“The players I’ve got in have that for different reasons. Chris is a local Chelmsford boy with a hunger to prove he can score goals at this level.
“Alex is still young and making his way in the game and we’ve given him that platform to prove what he can do. There’s still the potential for me to bring another in as well, but we’re working on that.”
He hasn’t ruled out more activity in the player market in time for the Dorchester clash, which represents another chance to close the increasing gap behind leaders Woking.
But if Chelmsford’s only route into the Premier is via the play-offs, Glenn remains confident. He said: “In the last couple of years we’ve limped into them as we’ve had to expend so much energy to get there and we’ve had injuries at the wrong times.”
“Last season there was such a release when we beat Hampton on the last day to cement our place in the play-offs that we didn’t have anything left in the tank when we had to go again.
“I still haven’t given up hope of the title – none of us have – but we have to make sure we stay in that top five as I feel we’re better equipped this year.”