North Wales Crusaders head coach Carl Forster said that his side have an opportunity to lay down an early marker in League One when they travel to face Workington Town this weekend.
Speaking to the media ahead of Sunday’s game, Forster said: “We’ve gone two from two in the league, and that’s no easy feat given that those games were away to a Dewsbury side newly relegated into the division then a Goole team who have spent big this year.
“I’m not one to put pressure on my own lads, but it’s obvious that Sunday gives us an opportunity to put an early marker down against a Workington side who will be hoping to be up there come the end of the season.
“There was elements of last week’s victory over Goole which I wasn’t happy with, and likewise elements which really impressed me, especially in the second-half, so we’ll sit down in video and look at those this week.
“We’re still really early on, and we’ve won our first two games which is fantastic, but also nothing to go and get really carried away with at this point, we’ve got to stay grounded and take each week as it comes.
“I think Workington will be one of the toughest places to go this year, they’ve gone about their business quietly whilst all the talk has been about other teams, but make no mistake, their ambitions will be to get out of the division this year, and they’ve recruited a side capable of doing just that.
“When you take all that into account, it gives us a challenge, can we go up there and make a statement in terms of our own intentions for the season, and at the end of the day that’s why we’re all here isn’t it, to be involved in games like this.”
Sunday’s fixture shall mark the third in concession on the road for Forster’s side, something which he believes has made current form all the more impressive: “I’m not too sure what’s happened in terms of the scheduling, and it all evens itself out during the course of the season, but I think when the league fixtures come out and you start with Dewsbury, Goole then Workington all away you sit back and realise that you’re going to be in for a tough start.
“That being said, it’s credit to the group of boys which we have here, how we’re going about our business so far, and the standards which we’re setting ourselves.
“We want to earn the right to be up there come the end of the season, and to do so then you need to be taking points off the teams who are going to be in and around you.
“This is one of the most open divisions I’ve seen in many years, you can’t call it week to week, and so we need to show consistency and keep improving week-by-week.
“If we do that, then I have every confidence in the team and staff I have here to get us into that top four come the end of the season.”
