BIG MISS . . . Jack Langston begins his three-match ban soonDAVE Langston is looking for his Rocester side to build on their excellent recent performances in a bid to climb the Midland Alliance table.
The Romans have responded well to going out of the FA Vase with some superb displays in recent weeks.
However, they have only won one match and were again left frustrated on Saturday after a cracking showing against runaway league leaders Stratford Town ended in just a 1-1 draw.
The point leaves them down in 13th spot, albeit with games in hand.
“We were the better side than them again,” said Langston. “There was only one team in it in the first half and we should have been 3-0 up at the break.
“But we were only 1-0 up and they levelled it.
“They way we’ve bounced back from going out of the Vase, performance-wise, has been very pleasing.
“Now we need a couple of wins to climb the table.”
Rocester visit Continental Star tomorrow night, kick-off 7.45pm, before hosting Coventry Sphinx on Saturday, kick-off 3pm.
Both sides succumbed to the Romans earlier in the season in their first meetings, 4-0 and 3-1 respectively.
“I’d love to win both games,” said Langston. “We’d soon start climbing the table if we could get six points out of the two matches.”
Striker Darren Leonard (ankle) could return quicker than expected to take some part in the matches, but Ryan Pirrie (ankle) is definitely out.
Chris Sterling, Jack Langston and Carl Allen are all available tomorrow but then start three-match bans for the the red cards they were shown in recent weeks.
Big Darren Bullock could start up front again tomorrow after torturing the Stratford defence.
“They didn’t know what to do with Darren,” said Langston, who was forced to use the defender up front after Daz Alexander cried off at the last minute on Saturday.
“He did well in the air and gave us a physical presence.”
Alexander missed the match to attend a surprise late stag do but could still play some part in the run-in for Langston, who is hopeful of a top-six finish in the Alliance.
ROMANS FROM: Froggatt, Rogers, D McLeod, Johnson, Allen, Grocott, J Langston, Swain, Sterling, Bullock, Ahenkorah, McComisky, K McLeod, Leonard, Smith, Alexander.
