Wrens breathe again after first league win

A 2-0 victory at still pointless and still goalless Borrowash Victoria provided the Wrens with their first ever win in the East Midlands Counties League, their first clean sheet in the league, and their first goal scored by a Rainworth player from open play, after all previous goals had come from either the penalty spot or an own goal.
The result gave Marvin and his men something to build on ahead of Saturday's big local derby at home to Sherwood Colliery, who still boast a 100 per cent record in the league.
"Yes, definitely relief rather than joy," confessed the Wrens boss after the match. "It's good to finally get the win and put three points on the board, and while we were well aware of Borrowash's record, we knew it would be a battle. Both of us are at the wrong end of the table and both are there for a reason.
"The referee asked us before the match whether we were happy to play in view of the appallingly overgrown state of the pitch, but we said 'absolutely, it's the same for both sides'.
"We grew into the match as it went on, beghan ok and they never looked a threat, so that in the end we were disappointed not to score more than two. We had chances, we had the ball in their six yarde box several times, we hit the post twice, and we felt that we could have had more penalties before the one that was finally given which got us off the mark.
"Our build up play was fantastic, we got the ball into good areas, but we are still lacking that finishing touch, which cost us on Saturday against Teversal in the Vase, but at least we didn't concede any silly goals as we had done that day.
"We're only five games in, and I would hope to see our strikers taking the confidence that comes from a win into Saturday."
On the incident which saw the Vics keeper sent off for a 'professional' foul midway through the second half, Marvin added: "There was a bit of confusion. Both benches felt it should have been a penalty and a yellow card, rather than a free kick just outside the area and a red, but it's fair to say that the keeper had also pulled off some top class saves before the incident."
Looking forward, Marvin agreed that the Sherwood game would be a completely different kettle of fish. The Mansfield Woodhouse side won 2-0 at Rainworth's Tomlin Personnel Stadium in pre-season, and he said they will approach the game very differently on the back of their unblemished record.
"They have some technically very good players," he continued, "so we know what to expect. We know we will have to keep the door shut as they have some good goalscorers, but our own chances are likely to come less often than they did against Borrowash, so it's important that when they do come we put them away and be more clinical.
"We should have a few players back for the game, which gives me good headaches rather than the bad ones about lack of numbers and having to move things around. We've still not managed to put the same team out twice running, which has disappointed me because I believe in continuity.
"So I'm hoping that now we are into September we can bring more of that into our team selection, so players will know their roles, and it won't be a case of introducing a new player into the dressing room almost every match."

Updated 12:50 - 30 Aug 2019 by Gordon Foster