Haverhill Rovers attacker Luke Lindsay ‘grateful’ for second chance after six-match spitting suspension

Luke Lindsay is ‘grateful’ for the second chance that he has been given by Haverhill Rovers – and he wants to repay the club by helping to guide them back to Step 5 football.

Back in October the attacker was banned for six matches by the Football Association for spitting at an opposition player during the 2-1 derby win over Haverhill Borough.

Rovers also fined the 26-year-old, who believed that his stint at The New Croft could be over.

“There was a situation in the game where one of our players has been fouled and then pushed in the face,” said Lindsay.

“I was the closest team-mate to it and you always back up your own players. I’ve pushed someone away and then three or four of their players have got in my face. After that I’ve reacted horrendously.

“I didn’t think, it just happened and that’s not my character at all. I’ve never been sent off before, let alone spat at somebody.

“I deserved the ban and I deserved punishment from the club. At that point I thought they could have moved me on because I’d done something no footballer should do, but they stuck by me and I’m grateful for that.”

Lindsay returned to action on November 23 in the 3-0 home victory over Dussindale & Hellesdon Rovers, and four subsequent wins have seen Haverhill stretch their lead at the top of the Thurlow Nunn League First Division North to 12 points.

And having received the club’s backing, Lindsay is determined to ensure that Rovers go on to wrap up the title.

He added: “Morale among the whole group was high when I did what I did and I felt like I’d ruined that. I apologised to everyone involved straight away.

“I know a lot of people will still dislike me for it and I have to accept that, but the boys in the dressing room have shown me nothing but respect and I appreciate that.

“The ban gave me time to think about what I’d done and reflect on it. Since I’ve come back a lot of people have said I’m playing better than I was before the ban and I think that’s because I want to show everyone how much I want to play for the club and how much I want to be part of a successful team.

“I can’t take back the big mistake I made but I can work hard to pay back the chance I’ve been given.”

With such a healthy advantage at the summit and having lost just once in the league this season, Rovers would be odds-on favourites with the bookmakers to be crowned champions.

Nevertheless, while accepting that they are in an advantageous position, Lindsay has insisted that there is no danger of any complacency creeping in.

“When I looked at what Ben (Cowling, manager) and the coaches were building in the summer, the season has 100 per cent lived up to expectations so far,” said Lindsay.

“Our challenge now is to maintain what we’ve done up to this point until the end of the season.

“We’ve got a lot of experience in the squad so there will be no taking our foot off the gas.

“We feel confident as a group that we’ll win plenty of games, but that’s not being arrogant. We’ve set high standards and never go into matches thinking we’ll wipe the floor with teams.

“If we’re going to win a game we’ve got to put the work in and that’s what we’ve done so far.

“Opposition teams go into games with us at the moment feeling like they have nothing to lose and that makes them dangerous. It means we can’t afford to let our standards drop.”

Rovers, who saw last weekend’s trip to Whittlesey Athletic postponed, head to seventh-placed Holbeach United tomorrow (3pm).