IT is make or break time for Haverhill Rovers in their bid to stay in the Ridgeons League Premier Division.
Defeat to second-bottom Norwich United at Hamlet Croft on Saturday will all but mathematically end Rovers’ chances of leapfrogging their relegation rivals – while victory will breathe new life into their survival bid.
Matches like this were made f
or the footballing term ‘six-pointer’ and Rovers manager Peter Betts is well aware how important it is for the Reds to claim victory.
“We have got to win,” he said. “A draw five or six games ago would have been okay but we have really got to win now.”
Finishing higher than second bottom looks unlikely, even though Harwich & Parkeston are sliding towards the trapdoor after a run of six straight defeats, but Betts knows that his side must finish off the bottom as they can’t rely on teams moving out of the league.
Lowestoft Town look set for promotion to step four and Tiptree United want to move to the Essex Senior League, but a change of heart for one of them would relegate the bottom team.
On the pitch, Betts is confident his team are rejuvenated because, despite not being able to find a way past King’s Lynn Reserves on Saturday, they produced their best half of football since the 4-2 victory over Ely at Hamlet Croft in February.
“It was frustrating (we lost) because second half on Saturday we were excellent,” said Betts. “They didn’t have a shot and we pummelled their goal for 45 minutes without scoring.”
The Rovers manager was also fuming after clashing with the King’s Lynn bench and the referee over several decisions during the game, including a penalty shout for handball on the Lynn line.
Betts said: “He (the referee) missed a stamp, missed a ball being kicked at a player when they were on the floor, gave no protection to players and he’s missed a blatant handball on the line which would have resulted in a penalty and them being down to ten men.
“Their captain, just to clear things up, went to the referee to say it was the most blatant penalty he’d ever seen.
“When you talk about no luck that sums it up for us on Saturday, but in the end it was down to poor finishing that we’ve not got anything from the game.”
But Betts will put that behind him when Norwich visit on Saturday and he made it clear how much Rovers needed the support of their fans this weekend.
“Because it’s Easter weekend, people may be at a loose end and kids on their school holiday. Every person who gets down to the Croft on Saturday will be much appreciated.”
