Is this the secret behind Warrington Rylands' upturn in form?
IT is often said that one of the most important ingredients in success is continuity – and Warrington Rylands are currently proving that to be true.
Blues are currently unbeaten in their past seven Northern Premier League fixtures stretching back to a 1-0 loss to Ilkeston Town at the end of November – a run which has allowed them to pull away from the Premier Division relegation zone.
They go into the weekend sitting 13th in the table and while the tightly-packed nature of the bottom half means they are still only three points clear of danger, their position is looking a lot more promising.
Going back a little further, the aforementioned Ilkeston defeat is their only one in 10 league matches – and a key part of that appears to be the settled nature of the Rylands side.
Since the Ilkeston game, manager Neil Reynolds has made only three changes to his starting line-up.
The team that started that day was as follows: Luke Pilling, Clive Smith, Matt Regan, Harrison, Hopper, Scott Holding, James Neild, Ben Hough, Ben Hardcastle, George Waring, Jake Daniels and Ntumba Massanka.
For the following week’s trip to Guiseley – the 2-2 draw that started their current unbeaten sequence – Massanka was replaced in the starting line-up by Sandro Da Costa, who himself was swapped out in favour of Alex Kiwomya for the 3-2 FA Trophy loss at Chorley.
Reynolds named an unchanged side for their return to league action against Workington – a game in which Jake Burton came off the bench to score the winner in a 2-1 victory.
Burton replaced Hough in the starting side for the midweek trip to Worksop Town that followed, and that started a run of five consecutive matches with the same 11 players starting the match, with the latest being Tuesday’s 2-2 draw at FC United of Manchester.
Recruitment quietens as veteran returns
When he first joined the club in September, Reynolds was quick to make several new signings but his recruitment drive has gone quiet of late.
Indeed, of the starting XI he has named in each of the past five games, only four players – Hopper, Holding, Kiwomya and Waring – were brought to the club by him.
And now, he has a key player returning to the fold in the shape of vastly experienced midfielder Dean Furman.
The former South African international was back in the matchday squad as an unused substitute at FC United following a lengthy injury absence.
He has not been seen since being substituted in Reynolds’ first league game in charge – the 2-2 draw with Mickleover on October 6 – but his return to contention will only boost a squad growing in confidence.
Dean Furman is back in contention following a three-month injury lay-off (Image: Mark Percy)
A meeting of two upwardly-mobile sides
The cold snap currently gripping the region looks set to continue into the weekend, which is likely to put much of the local sporting schedule in jeopardy.
Should they manage to get their game on, however, Rylands are due to host a side who like them have moved themselves away from trouble in Leek Town.
The Staffordshire side are level with Blues on 28 points but are two places below them in 15th by virtue of their inferior goal difference, but a run of one defeat in seven league games has them upwardly-mobile.
On Boxing Day, they became the first side this season to beat runaway league leaders Macclesfield at home when they beat the Silkmen 2-1.
