Newmarket Town youngsters making an impression during tough run of results
‘Short-term pain for long-term gain’ – that is the process that player-manager Michael Shinn is hoping Newmarket Town are going through at the moment.
Shinn is not shying away from the fact his side have made a disappointing start to ongoing Thurlow Nunn League Premier Division campaign, with Saturday’s 4-0 defeat at Ely City their fifth loss in a row in all competitions.
That run of form has seen the Jockeys drop to 16th place, with their 30 goals conceded giving them the fifth worst defensive record.
Yet the tough results have coincided with a string of injuries to key players, particularly in defence where the likes of captain James Seymour, James Chivers and Joe Robinson have all spent time on the sidelines. Centre-back Rob Ruddy, meanwhile, has opted to join Godmanchester Rovers following his summer arrival from Mildenhall Town.
As a result Shinn has been forced to field a string of players from the club’s youth set-up and while results have not been favourable, he believes their performances point to a brighter future.
“We’ve had a lot of injury problems and to be honest availability has been a disaster all season,” he said. “When you look at our league position and results I would be mad to come out and say everything is looking rosy because clearly it isn’t.
“People are saying to me ‘Shinny it’s great you’re giving the young lads a chance’ but the truth is I’ve not had much choice – I’ve had to throw them in.
“The biggest challenge for me is to keep their heads up during this run because although results haven’t been great they’ve all shown a lot of promise and I’m really pleased with them.
“A lad like Ryan Cole. He’s 16, playing in a team that’s not getting results and yet against Ely he was making things happen and creating an awful lot for us.
“I’ve been in the game long enough to know these spells are not nice and you feel horrendous but you always come out of them, you’ve just got to keep going.
“We’ve been dealt a rubbish hand but it could end up being a huge positive for the club. If we can keep hold of these lads and they can continue to develop they will be top players for us and it will save us having to spend a fortune bringing players in.
“The EJA system is working for us as a club and the under-18s are progressing well.
“Right now it’s hard but the long term is looking bright.”
Newmarket could have Seymour and Chivers available for Saturday’s trip to 11th-placed Norwich United (3pm), while on Tuesday they host Haverhill Rovers in the League Challenge Cup (7.45pm).
