Ryan Peters: "We've been here before, and we know exactly what it takes"

Assistant manager Ryan Peters believes that experience and support from the York Road faithful will be the difference between survival and relegation from the Vanarama National League. 

 

United were unsuccessful on their trip to Victoria Road last Saturday, with Josh Rees’ header securing three points for Dagenham & Redbridge. 

 

“We weren’t very good,” said Peters when speaking to Scott Hargreaves after Saturday's 1-0 defeat. “We looked really susceptible from the set pieces. We knew it was going to be a really ugly game. We had one of our biggest attendances, I imagine, for an away game, who deserve better. 

 

“At this moment in time, we don’t seem to be able to create enough chances going forward,” Peters added. We had Shawn [McCoulsky]’s chance in the first half - if he takes that then maybe it’s a different game - but other than that, we just don’t seem to be able to create enough chances when we’ve got enough attackers on the pitch. It’s got to change. We’ve six games left, we’ve got to make sure we do as much as we can.” 

 

The Magpies have not been beaten by more than a goal in their last six games in a run which includes two draws and a 2-0 win over Gateshead. Scoring goals, however, is just as crucial as not conceding. 

 

“If we keep the scoreline as low as possible then we give ourselves a chance,” said Peters. “We can’t have anybody who isn’t ready for the fight. I thought we competed well [against Dagenham], but like I said we are missing a lot of quality at this moment in time.” 

 

Relegation battles are a familiarity for one of only three part-time teams in the league, and Maidenhead have overcome the odds on more than one occasion in their eight years at the fifth level of English football. 

 

“Look, we’ve been here before, and we know exactly what it takes,” Peters explained. “The characters have to be right in order to get over the line. We need those characters that have the quality to go with it that will give us that extra edge.” 

 

“I think [experience] will be the difference,” the assistant manager added, citing Alan Massey and Remy Clerima as long serving Magpies who know what it takes to survive in the National League. “They’ve been here and done it, and know exactly what Alan Devonshire is asking for. We need those characters to be ready for the fight.” 

 

With Wealdstone and Boston set to play each other on Tuesday night, United will enter Saturday’s game against Tamworth facing a five-point deficit to overhaul. With six games remaining, the Magpies still need to play four relegation-threatened rivals on top of the aforementioned Tamworth fixture and a trip to take on Halifax at the Shay mid-April. 

 

“Five points is the difference,” Peters said. “We play those teams around us, take points off of them, it elevates us and brings them back into the [relegation zone] – we’ve got to do that as quickly as we possibly can. 

 

“Our form, whether at home or away, hasn’t been great, but if you’re going to harness something it’s that sometimes our form at home can be pretty good. We’re hoping for a performance, we’re hoping for all of our fans [to rally] around us, and that should be the difference.”