North Wales Crusaders head coach Carl Forster has insisted that his side mean business as they prepare to travel to take on an Oldham squad who could go top of the league with a victory on Sunday.
The two sides met previously only a matter of weeks ago when Shaun Long’s Oldham broke North Wales hearts with a last second drop-goal to return to Greater Manchester with two points.
However, with the tables turned this weekend, Forster is confident in his team: “We’ve proven already this year that we can come up against the top two sides in this league in Oldham and Keighley, and we have the capability to compete.
“If we play our game, and we play smart, we posses the ability to cause an upset come Sunday, and get our own season back on track after a defeat last weekend.
“I’ve heard people say that we have nothing to lose this week, but I disagree completely.
“We mean business, and we’re going there to win, regardless of their league position.”
Crusaders have been blighted by injuries over the last few weeks, and it’s an issue which Forster shall have to contend with once again this weekend: “Look, I won’t dress it up, we’ve got a lot of injured bodies in the camp at the moment, players out of position, lads out for a few weeks, and we’re having to change those combinations constantly.
“However, that’s no excuse. We go out there with the best team available to us, and we play to a game plan which suits the boys on the field that day.
“I’ll back my players every game, and this week is no different.
“We were gutted with the manner of last weekend’s performance, but we have an opportunity here to put things right and put a marker down for the rest of the season.”
Looking ahead to Sunday’s opponents, Forster said: “There’s no doubting the quality in their team, you look down the squad list, and realistically it’s a Championship side.
“The reality of that however, is that it comes with pressure, they’ve got Keighley pushing them all the way, and they can’t afford to slip up in any game.
“Every game which Oldham play this season, they’re the favourites and are expected to win, they’ve had a coupon of close calls, they’re not unbeatable, that’s already been proven, but the pressure come Sunday if fully on them to go out there and do the job in front of their fans.
“I don’t mind that at all, it lets us go about our business and play with a bit of freedom.”
