“We are confident” is the message from Lindum Hockey player-coach Matt Bell as his side readies for the last three games of the season.
The Lincoln-based outfit need two wins and a draw from their final three games to secure the England Hockey Conference North title.
Promotion last season made Lindum the first team in Lincolnshire to reach English hockey’s third tier, and they will make more history if they are still top of the table come the end of March.
Speaking to LincSport, Bell said: “We are confident going in to the last three games, but we don’t take it for granted.”
He added: “Each time we go into a game the goal difference comes after the result. We want to win comfortably.”
Lindum travel to Beeston and Brooklands MU in successive weekends, before Wakefield make the trip to Lincolnshire for the final day of the season: Sunday, March 24.
The player-coach reveals that the defeat at Doncaster, Lindum’s first in over 35 games, has “spurred on” the ‘Yellow Submarine’. They bounced back with a controlled victory over Ben Rhydding, before sweeping past Oxton 9-1 at the weekend.
On the most recent victory, Bell said: “They were a bit rabbit in the headlights. We were well on it in the first-quarter, very clinical and it was 4-0 by the end of the first.”
Oxton had difficulty getting to Lincoln due to travel issues, so the start of the game had to be delayed.
Next up for Lindum is a trip to seventh-placed Beeston, as they look to take one step closer to the title.
He said: “Beeston are a bit younger, but they’re a good team. They’ve got a youth policy, trying to give their lads National League experience. They know how to play hockey.”
“We are focused, but there’s always a danger playing at Beeston. It’s a tough place to go,” he added.
A feature of Lindum’s season has been a sharing of the goals. Their nine goals against Oxton came from seven different scorers. The team’s player-coach sees this as a positive.
Bell said: “We’re not reliant on one person to put the ball in the net.”
The title race has sparked into life over recent weeks. Timperley and Doncaster, who play each other on the final day of the season, are just three points behind the league-leaders.
Bell is confident, but maintains that the final three games of the season will each present a challenge.
He said: “It’s three games that we’re looking forward, but there are no walkovers.”