Lewes FC told by boss: Cheshunt clash is a must-win

Last weekend’s disappointing 3-2 home defeat to Wingate & Finchley now means just two points separate Lewes and Cheshunt in the table, with the latter also having a game in hand over the Rooks.

Russell believes the trip is a must-win if his side are to have any chance of being promoted via the play-offs this season. He said: “It’s pretty straight forward, if we don’t win that game (Cheshunt) then I think that’s us done in terms of the play-offs. I said that to the players, sometimes when you just simplify everything, no more slip-ups can be done.

Lewes extend support and save scheme.

“It is what it is. if we don’t win then it's season over. We’ll just wind the season down for the remaining three games so it’s quite a straightforward thing we’ve got to do, we’ve just got to go there and win. Sometimes when you strip it back like that it's simple, four cup finals as they say. Just go there and give your all.

“They’re a good honest group of players so I know we’ll go there and give a good account of ourselves, so I’m as confident as I need to be.”

Russell admits the game is going to be tough but has confidence from his side's good form on their travels this season. Lewes’ home form has been worse than their away form this season, something Russell puts down to the Dripping Pan’s pitch condition.

Rooks reset works wonders.

“We’ve got the home record form of a mid-table side. It’s our away record, which is very good, one of the best in the league, but our home record is really poor. It’s hard to get promoted if your home record is really poor and I think you can read into that what you want.

“We’re a possession-based side, I feel that’s what makes us different from most sides in our league. When you can’t do that as fluid as you want, the game becomes a bit of a leveller. At the moment it’s very frustrating for all of us.

“I felt for the players on Saturday (Against Wingate & Finchley), it was very dis-heartening, I did feel for them. But we’ve had setbacks all year, that’s what we’ve done. We’ve won a few games, then we’ve lost, picked ourselves up and gone again so it’s just as you were.”