A glance forward to our first National League North fixture of the season…
By Matty Paddock - 04/08/2022
Posted 3 years ago
RUSS Penn wants his team to handle the first-day pressure at Blyth Spartans as the Reds bring the curtain up on a brand-new league campaign.
The tricky trek to Croft Park is first up for Harriers, who get their longest journey of the season out of the way on day one.
The boss is indifferent to the lengthy of the jaunt and feels it’s a great time to head there – he’s more focused on the challenge that awaits his charges once they get there.
Looking ahead to the game, the Harriers chief insists his side are looking to start the season with nothing less than maximum points.
All the same, it won’t be easy against a Spartans side who were a tough nut to crack last term, not least on their own turf – as Harriers found out to their cost at the back end of the campaign.
“Everyone says it, you have to play them sometime,” said Penn.
“I think it is a great time to play them now. The pitch will be in great nick and we’ll go up there looking to in the game.
“Full respect to Terry and his team, I think they’ll be a lot stronger this year.
“He made them hard to beat at the end of last season and they looked like a proper team.
“We’re under no illusions; it’s a really tough first game, but the principles are always the same for me. We’ve got to go there and try and win the game.”
Penn expects the Spartans will fare better this time around. They struggled for much of 2021/22 before escaping relegation late on.
“They’ve signed some good players and have some good experience as well,” the boss added.
“He knows how to set up and works his team really well. I’ve got a lot of respect for what Terry’s done in the leagues below.
“He’s a local lad and knows what the town wants.”
Everyone begins a new term on zero points of course, and that’s what Penn keeps in mind when weighing up Saturday’s task.
The opposition is irrelevant, he says, you feel the pressure wherever you are.
“Whether you’re playing Man United or Blyth on the first game or the season, everyone is going to feel that edge of nervousness,” he said.
“Hopefully we can get the better of it.”
Harriers will likely give competitive debuts to a number of new summer signings at Croft Park.
Amari Morgan-Smith and Alex Penny remain the only injury absentees having sat out pre-season matches – though both are now beginning their ‘summer’ campaign with a view to being back in first-team action shortly.
Our hosts on Saturday have confirmed that while fans can pay their admission at the turnstile, advance purchase via their website is strongly recommended.
Kick-off at Blyth Spartans on Saturday is 3:00pm.
This article is about: Match
CONNECT WITH US ON SOCIAL MEDIA
