Jeff Whitley - We need to get stuck in

By Mark Currie, Daily Post

08 March 2008

MIDFIELDER Jeff Whitley is backing Wrexham to bounce back from a disappointing display against Mansfield Town last weekend when they make the short cross-border trip to Chester City tomorrow.

The former Northern Ireland international was among the first to hold his hands up following a frustrating afternoon in which the Dragons had to come from behind to salvage a point against the side just above them in the League Two relegation spots.

But looking ahead to what will be his first experience of tomorrow’s midday tribal battle at the Deva Stadium, Whitley said: “We have to go there with all guns blazing and get stuck in from the very beginning of the game.

“Last week there were very few of us who could feel happy with the performance, which was certainly well below the standard we have set for ourselves in the past couple of months. We all know we can play better and we have to ensure that we deliver against Chester.

“We’re not kidding ourselves that it will be an easy game so we need to be fully committed and set our sights on picking up the win that we know we desperately need.

“Looking back it’s great that we have lost only one of our last eight matches, but the fact remains that we need points on the board. We showed a fair bit of quality when we beat Darlington and MK Dons but we must show we are capable of producing that same level of performance on a more regular basis.”

With continuing doubts over the fitness of Danny Sonner, much of the midfield responsibility tomorrow is likely to fall on Whitley’s shoulders. And the 29-year old, who is still on non contract terms at the Racecourse, believes discipline and concentration will be paramount.

“No one can deny the importance of getting back to winning ways after the last few draws,” he added. “But we cannot afford to let frustration get the better of us and we can’t afford to let our concentration drop for a minute.

“It will be a tough, physical battle for 90 minutes, because that’s the nature of derby matches, and much as we want to win the game, it’s just as important to make sure we don’t lose it.”

Wrexham manager Brian Little won’t be finalising his team plans until today when the influential Sonner will have a fitness test on a sore Achilles tendon, but the Dragons boss is resigned to being without Neil Roberts (ankle) and Steve Evans (knee) for the second successive match.

He said: “Hopefully Danny will come through tomorrow, even though he has not trained with us so far this week

“ That would be one change from the team against Mansfield, but we are also considering one or two other little things to make sure we give Chester something to think about on Sunday.”

Without discounting what the derby means to Wrexham fans, Little pointed out that there was another match within just 48 hours at Wycombe Wanderers to be followed by Bury’s visit to the Racecourse next Saturday.

“In an ideal world we’ll get the result we want at Chester on Sunday and pick up no new injuries from the game, but that’s not to say we won’t need to make changes for Tuesday,” he added.

“That’s why it is so important for players on the fringes to be ready to play at a moment’s notice. Regardless of Sunday we might need fresh legs at Wycombe because we have to play every match at the highest possible tempo between now and the end of the season.”

Little, whose first game in charge of the Dragons was in the corresponding Racecourse derby in November, has paid little heed to City’s poor run of form since the turn of the year.

It is a sequence that last week cost manager Bobby Williamson his job.

“It’s one of those games that won’t mean anything in the context of what has been happening to Chester,” added Little. “They will be thinking that the derby is an ideal opportunity for them to stop the rot against a club that is bottom of the Football League.

“We have our ideas about how we can win the game, but we won’t be changing the pattern too much because, last week apart, we have come pretty close to beating some good sides.

Little added: “What we have to remember is that there are 14 matches to go and there are plenty of points still to play for.”

Dragons keeper Michael Jones yesterday joined Blue Square North outfit Hinckley United on loan for the remainder of the season.