10:00am Wednesday 30th December 2009
By Simon Fitzjohn
Simon Parker admits failing to make the Ryman Premier play-offs this season will be a bitter pill to swallow for his Tooting & Mitcham side.
The Terrors head to play-off rivals Kingstonian this weekend looking to get 2010 off with a bang, and avenge their 3-2 Imperial Fields defeat on Boxing Day.
And striker Parker reckons there is no reason why Tooting cannot get back on track - and fast.
He said: “I think if we do not make the play-offs this season then it will be a huge disappointment for everybody.
“Yes we have a small squad but it is a quality squad.
“To be honest everyone in our dressing room expects to be in the play-off places come the end of the year.
“We are where we are because we deserve to be, and everyone is really confident.
“Everyone gets on well with each other and enjoys their football.
“The thing with the league this year is it is so tight there are probably 15 sides that could make the play-offs.
“We have to find the consistency to make sure we are one of them.”
Tooting saw their clash last night at Carshalton postponed, stopping their bid to bounce back from the Kingstonian loss, a frustrating 3-2 setback despite Jamie Byatt and Aaron Goode strikes.
And Parker insists Billy Smith’s men can turn things around at Kingsmeadow.
He added: “I think we have to start the game like we did on Saturday.
“We have to put them under more pressure and improve our movement, which was not good enough.
“They overran us as the game wore on and we need to pull them around the pitch a bit more.
“We made it very difficult for ourselves but it is definitely something that we can put right.”
Tooting & Mitcham’s next three games: Jan 2 Kingstonian (a), 5 Margate (a), 9 Wealdstone (h)
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