Log onto www.thenonleaguefootballpaper.com THE NON-LEAGUE PAPER, Sunday, March 1, 2020 13

Adam VIRGOBT SPORT PUNDIT GIVES HIS EXPERT OPINION RAVENS NEED TO TOWN ARE THE FIND THE FORMULA HOW do you solve a problem like Bromley? At the moment we’re seeing that up and down nature of their performances TREND SETTERS hurt them. They’re bottom of the form YLDE, Ebbsfleet, and Bristol City, as an exam- table and have slid out of the Aldershot – getting ple. It’s not easy. Perhaps it’s play-off places. in the play-offs one slightly different because he’s SIMON WEAVING HIS MAGIC It can’t be a coincidence season doesn’t mean a manager but, regardless, to switch from 3G to grass? that has coincided with Reeco it’s going to happen upfront with what they’re Belshaw in goal, Josh Falk- he is more than showing his It’s not something I’ve heard Hackett-Fairchild moving to Fagain the next. trying to do. ingham in the middle, Jack worth at a real close-knit Simon use as an excuse. Portsmouth in January. His You always wonder how a Of course that has to be Muldoon, George Thomson, community club. The team But they have got one of creativity was always going to club will perform the follow- measured. Fylde have 2022 – good players has a real identity and they the best home records in be hard to replace. ing campaign. Not that you’d on their sleeves for when and a big part of their are building the momentum the league and when you But they’ve got the ability. My expect Fylde to be struggling they want to reach the success. at the right time. They’ll push compare it to their away admiration for Michael Cheek against relegation just a Football League. That’s some Sometimes they change Barrow all the way. form, that inconsistency has is well known but he needs few months after reaching statement. it up with Ryan Fallowfield I think they will have crept in. service. I don’t think there is a the promotion final, but it’s at full-back and Warren really learnt from last season Consistency harder working forward than not easy to follow it up with Burrell in midfield, and I when they fell at the Elimi- Identity Ben Williamson, even if he’s another push. But Harrogate have really like Jack Emmett in that nator stage in the play-offs to not going to get you 15 goals a That’s why Harrogate impressed. One key was midfield area. It’s a good Still, Simon is doing a Fylde too. season. Town deserve huge credit. keeping important players solid squad. great job. Working with his I remember writing They looked so strong at the They had a bit of an incon- from last season – something They always play the dad, who is the owner, can’t about when start of the season and they’ve sistent start. It was probably that can be hard to do after a same, attacking football. In be easy. It’s like when players Fylde did the same the season fallen away. It’s not too late, a hangover from a great successful year. recent weeks they’ve put play for their old man – Lee before. He went away, learnt of course. I like Neil Smith as first season in the National Defender three past Eastleigh, the Johnson under Gary at Yeovil the lessons and the next a manager. He’s built a real League where they finished moved onto Solihull Moors same against Yeovil and year they were in the final at community within that football sixth. but Simon kept the over Christmas they scored Wembley. club and there is a really good But Simon Weaver’s side spine. four against Hartlepool. What I like about Harro- pathway for youngsters. are right in the reckoning. James The one thing is their gate is they don’t get above How many times do they get When I first met him, he home and away consis- their stations. They are who a player in and move them on to came across as a decent guy. tency. Thinking with a they are, they’re proud to be good things? Louis Dennis and You get a nice feel for most player’s hat on, does who they are, but they can Hackett-Fairchild were both of the managers at this level the pitch make a dif- certainly mix it with the big sold in recent seasons. That’s and Simon is very open and ference and having boys. the sign of a good manager. He takes a player who maybe needs an arm round them and tries to make them a better player. ALL SMILES: Harrogate As a group they need to find pair Ryan Fallowfi eld, that consistency. left, and George Thomson PICTURE: Matt Kirkham SPIREITES HAVE GOT THE SPIRIT IF I was a Chesterfield fan I’d been feeling a lot better about the run-in now. It’s been a dreadful season overall but there seems to be a bit of light in their battle to beat relegation. We covered them for BT Sport when they beat Notts County recently and I saw a belief back in them again. Since John Pemberton has taken over he appears to have simplified what he wants. Nathan Tyson has come in to give a bit of experience – then it’s a bonus when he scores a hat-trick off the bench! Along with players like Curtis Weston, Sam Wedgbury, Scott Boden they have the experience to keep climbing up the table. I see a fighting spirit among their players that I don’t see in every club down at the bottom. FOLLOW THE NON-LEAGUE PAPER ON TWITTER @NONLEAGUEPAPER