Buckland believes 'there's still light at the end of the tunnel' for Horsham YMCA's promotion dreams

Horsham YMCA boss Peter Buckland. Picture by Steve Robards.

The Blue and Yellows have been on a remarkable run of form. They are currently on a 16-game unbeaten run in the league, with their last defeat coming in a 5-1 thumping by YM at Gorings Mead on October 20, and have scored 17 and conceded five in their last six games.

With Town very much the form team in the division, Buckland revealed that he would tweak his tactical set-up to stifle Saturday's hosts but felt YMCA's recent results at The Saffrons gave him confidence.

He said: "I think the formation, without giving too much away, is going to have to come into account. For instance I wouldn't go 4-3-3 and go gung-ho. It's too open.

"You'd have to have three really fit, on-form players to have three in midfield so we'll be setting up to stay in the game for long periods and adjusting the formation accordingly as the game develops.

"They are without question the form team in the league and I've spoken to a couple of other managers and they said that Eastbourne have really got their act together.

"I'm tempting fate here, but we always seem to get a good result down there but it will be tough."

The Gorings-Mead are currently unbeaten in four in the league (two wins, two losses) but a difficult Christmas period has seen them fall 13 points behind top-of-the-table Chichester City.

Despite a drop in form, Buckland remained optimistic that his side could still push for promotion but was not putting any unnecessary pressure on his squad to achieve this goal.

He added: "We have got a game in hand over Eastbourne Town so if we're fortunate enough to beat them down there and win our game in hand at Loxwood (next Tuesday) we'd pull clear of Eastbourne.

"Then of course it would be Newhaven's tail we would be chasing and we've got to play them down there. If we go on to beat them down there then it goes on.

"There's still light at the end of the tunnel albeit a flicker. I've said to the lads that all the time there's a light there we've just got to go for it.

"There's no pressure at all. We're fully aware that the Christmas period is what has done us over again.

"If we're fortunate to win our last 12 games and finish on something like 88, 89 points that should be enough to get second.

"That's the target but we will be a lot wiser come five o'clock on Saturday."

On Wednesday evening Horsham YMCA exited the Peter Bentley Cup at the semi-final stage after a 3-2 defeat against AFC Uckfield Town at Shoreham's Middle Road.

The Uckers went ahead on 34 minutes after YM defender Ollie Gill put the ball into his own goal, before Dean Bown levelled three minutes later.

Two minutes into the second-half Bailo Camara gave Uckfield the lead before Callum Smith made it 3-1 on 67 minutes.

Substitute Jack Ryder pegged a goal back for YMCA on 75 minutes but last year's beaten finalist couldn't produce an equaliser as they crashed out in the final four.