Manager Darren Edmondson spoke of having “cup finals” remaining in Penrith AFC’s battle to avoid the Northern League Division I drop with two points needed from their final three games to guarantee survival.
Penrith took one point on Saturday as they drew 0-0 against Whickham with the best chances for both sides coming late on.
Oliver Reay fired just wide for the Blues after racing clear on goal with four minutes remaining. Luke Hunter also went close deep into stoppage time just seconds after Aaran Taylor made a fine block after parrying a shot into the six-yard box.
On Monday, Penrith lost 3-0 at home to promotion-chasing Bishop Auckland at Frenchfield Park and Edmondson’s side are third-from-bottom going into the penultimate weekend.
They travel to Tow Law Town this afternoon before hosting first Heaton Stannington on Tuesday (7-45pm kick-off) and then, next weekend, league leaders Newton Aycliffe, who will win the title with a point at Carlisle City this weekend.
“We probably would have taken a point, looking at the league table beforehand,” was Edmondson’s take after the Whickham stalemate. “But then I always felt confident after last Tuesday (2-0 win at Carlisle City) that with some tempo and a good structure we could cause problems.
“Actually we finished stronger in the last 10 or 15 minutes. Again it comes back to just being clinical, that final pass and decision to get the goal. In the end a draw was probably a fair result — they had a couple of half-chances and a scare right at the end.
“I can’t complain about the effort, the application again, it was fantastic. I’d like to have seen a bit more in the first half going forward, but you’ve always got to look at the opposition and give them credit. They were narrow and tight and hard to break down. We’ve got to say that it’s a good performance and a good point.”
Hit by suspensions and injuries, the Blues know that either bottom of the table Pickering — who won on Tuesday — or second-from-bottom Thornaby must win both their respective remaining games to avoid finishing in the bottom two. Both are five points adrift of Penrith.
“They’re cup finals, aren’t they?” said Edmondson of his side’s remaining games.
“We’ve got games we can take points from. It’s about our desire and our ethic at that point.”
- No date has yet been confirmed for Penrith’s Fred Conway Cumberland FA Senior Cup final against Danny Grainger’s Workington AFC at Brunton Park, Carlisle.
