‘No more hiding' as Horsham YMCA gear up for Lingfield test

YM have made a surprisingly slow start to the season, taking 11 points from their opening ten games amid an injury crisis which has plagued Buckland since August.

But with players starting to regain fitness week on week, and after the recent additions of midfielders Dan Pearse and Dan Mobsby, the dark clouds appear to be lifting.

Buckland said: “From this moment in time, there’s no more hiding behind the injury crisis because we picked up two good additions to the squad so I can’t imagine I’m in a different position than any other manager in the league.

“I’m looking for a good run now, five or six games unbeaten, something like that, The fundamental difference is I can now set up to win games of football instead of staying in them and that’s back to where we should be at.”

Asked what may be the cause behind their constant stream of injuries, Buckland said: “It’s just circumstantial, I can’t put it down to anything. They’re all picked up in games and it’s just one of those things.

“But it causes a bit of a conundrum because we can get out there and recruit, which ain’t easy, but then all of a sudden you’ve got yourself a squad of 24 players that you’re trying to keep happy.”

YMCA have been boosted by a two-week break, following the postponement of their match at Newhaven last Saturday, and Buckland admitted he felt huge relief as soon as the game was called off.

He said: “Normally it’s a big disappointment on matchdays when it gets called off, because you’re all geared up for it, but it’s the only time I’ve thought ‘oh that’s a result’.

“Because of our predicament, it just gives us another week, and we’ve now got a player back - Tom Gilbert - who wouldn’t have been fit otherwise so not at all disappointed.”

Horsham YMCA are set to travel to Lingfield on Saturday, a fixture Buckland sees as playing a crucial part in their season.

He said: “It’s always a tough place to go so we’ll have to be at our best. Our season really starts on Saturday so we’ll go there with no intention other than winning the game.”