Hockey: Grinstead need to knuckle down (From The Argus)

Hockey: Grinstead need to knuckle down

2:00pm Tuesday 9th February 2010 in

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Matt Jones insists East Grinstead need to knuckle down to keep their season alive.

The reigning champions resumed the outdoor campaign with a disappointing 3-2 defeat at home to a weakened Reading side, who have now gone top of the table.

Grinstead, who failed to win their four games immediately before the winter break, are now 11 points off top spot with seven games of the regular season to go.

The league will be decided by play-offs this season, which means Grinstead only have to finish in the top five, but manager Jones says they need to step up a notch starting with this Sunday's visit to deposed leaders Surbiton.

Jones admitted: “We can't look at the play-offs as a get-out-of-jail free card because if we do that we might be in danger of slipping out of the play-offs altogether.

“We need to knuckle down and get ourselves firing on all cylinders, which we are not quite doing yet.

“I don't want to make excuses. We must all take responsibility for being where we are and put in more effort on the training ground and on the pitch this weekend for what will prove to be another crunch match at Surbiton.”

Grinstead twice came from behind to equalise through South Africa international Gareth Carr, both from penalty strokes, but Andy Watts scored what proved to be the winner ten minutes from time.

A major concern for Grinstead was not being able to capitalise on the possession they had and the chances they created.

With Surbiton losing for the first time this season away to previously winless University of Exeter, Grinstead could have made major inroads into clawing back the deficit at the top had they won.

Jones said: “Regardless of the number of chances we created both from open and set-play, we were found wanting when it came to decision making and finishing in the circle, while defensively we gave them two cheap goals.

“It is disappointing not to capitalise on an opportunity to get three very valuable points against a weakened Reading side. With what transpired with other results, we could have put ourselves in a much better position.

“We know we have an awful lot more up our sleeves and it is a question of becoming a little slicker.”

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