With last weekend’s fixture postponed due to the conditions, manager Richard Tracey explained how the squad reacted and made sure the week still stayed productive: “It’s obviously disappointing when any game gets called off because we all want to be playing football, and the lads want that rhythm of Saturday, Tuesday or Saturday to Saturday.”

“But we’d kind of had the inkling anyway, and we’d been given a bit of guidance that the pitch was frozen, there was standing water, and it just wasn’t going to be playable. So instead of wasting the day, we reacted really well. We got ourselves organised, booked a training facility and got the lads together on Saturday, and to be fair they were excellent. We had a proper blast out, a hard session, and got plenty of work done. It meant we still got something productive out of the day and kept our standards where we want them.”

Tracey also outlined how the coaching staff managed the week, balancing recovery, individual work and the need to protect the pitch ahead of Saturday’s home match: “We gave the lads Tuesday off, and that was mainly because they put a lot of work in at the weekend and we wanted to be smart with the legs” he added.

“We didn't have a training facility booked for Tuesday, and with the forecast this week we want to protect the pitch as much as we can. The most important thing for us is making sure we’ve got a good surface for Saturday’s home game, because when we’re at home we want to be able to play properly. We don’t want to be forcing things and then damaging the pitch, because once you lose it at this time of year it becomes really difficult.”

Even with a night away from training, Tracey insisted standards remained high, with the squad set clear expectations: “Even though the lads weren’t in with us on Tuesday night, they weren’t just sitting doing nothing either,” he said. “They were given clear instructions on what we wanted them to do independently, and they’re expected to send their runs into the coaching staff once they’ve completed them.

“They’ve had that little bit of freedom, but there’s still responsibility there. Our expectations of them don’t drop, we still want them ticking over, keeping themselves right, and then we’ll all get back together on Thursday and properly prepare for Saturday.”

The break in fixtures has also provided some welcome breathing space for a few players carrying knocks, with Tracey providing an update on the squad: “It gives you a chance to get a bit of recovery into the legs, and at this stage of the season you’re always managing little knocks and little niggles.

“Jack Cowgill, for example, has got a bit of a niggle with his tendon. So not having that game intensity, and that high pressure load that comes with a match, takes some of the stress away from him and gives him a better chance of settling down.

“Chris Dawson is also working his way back from a hamstring issue, so that extra week of training and building him up is valuable. It’s another week where he can strengthen, improve his sharpness, and hopefully put himself in a better position for the next game.”

Tracey acknowledged there are always two sides to a free midweek, particularly at this time of year, but felt the squad have benefited overall: “Of course, there’s always the flip side as well,” he said. “On a potentially difficult Tuesday night with the weather, if we’d played on Saturday and then you’re travelling and playing again, it can put extra stress on bodies.

“So it really has pros and cons, it’s swings and roundabouts. But it does give us a chance to prepare properly and hopefully have everybody available going into the weekend.”

Attention now turns to Hallam, who arrives in good spirits after a standout result in midweek, and Tracey expects a strong test.

“We’ve got to acknowledge Hallam have had a wonderful result for themselves, going up to Dunston and winning 3-1,” he said. “That’s a massive result at any time, but particularly away from home, so they’ll come to us full of confidence.

“And that can work in two ways for us. It shows the type of threat they carry and the form they’re in, but it also means they’ve taken points off one of the teams up around us, which in itself can help the situation.

“The main thing is, we’ve got to make sure we take advantage of being at home, play our game properly, and try to get a positive result.”

Tracey also paid tribute to Hallam boss Craig Denton and the experience within their squad, warning Emley will need to be at their best: “Craig’s done a good job there. They’ve settled into the league well after being promoted. They’ve got some good players with experience at this level. Someone like Danny South has been promoted out of this level before, so he understands what it takes and what the demands are week in, week out. They’ve also strengthened with a centre half coming in from Pontefract who’s got play off experience at this level, and that kind of addition tells you everything, they know what they’re doing, and they’ll be organised.

“Craig is experienced as a manager as well, he understands the league, he knows how to set a team up, and I know he and his staff will do everything they can to come here and back up that Dunston result.”

Emley, however, will head into Saturday encouraged by their own recent form and the opportunity to play at home once again.

“For us, the objective is simple. We’re going to go out on Saturday, play our game, and play to win. That’s always the mindset, especially at home. We know it won’t be easy. We had a tough game over at Hallam earlier in the season, the conditions were difficult, it was a proper battle, and it was one of those games where you have to dig in.

“We missed a couple of really good chances, they missed a penalty, and in the end you take the point, because it’s not always about playing at your best, sometimes it’s about showing a bit of grit.

“But we’re in a good place at the minute. We’ve won six out of eight, and we want to make that seven out of nine. We want to keep building, keep improving, and keep pushing forward.”

A strong crowd at the Fantastic Media Welfare Ground could again play its part, with Tracey keen to build on the atmosphere created in recent home fixtures.

“It’s always nice playing at home, because you want to perform in front of your supporters and you want to give them something to get behind. The crowd we had against Ossett was unbelievable. Having 900 in there made a massive difference, it created an atmosphere, it lifted the lads, and you could see how much it meant to them.

“When you’ve got that backing behind you, it gives you that extra bit of energy when the game’s tight and you need something.

“Hopefully we can get another good gate this weekend. Hallam are a well supported club, and they’re a good club, well run, and they’ve made great progress over the last few years.

“So hopefully they bring a few and it creates a proper matchday feel, because those games where both sets of fans are in good numbers are the ones you really want.”

There was also squad movement this week: “Isaac Baldwin has gone out on dual registration with Golcar, which is really important for him. Isaac had a really bad concussion against Bishop Auckland and he had to have a significant amount of time out of football because of it, so it’s been a long process to get him back. Since then we’ve been on a good run and Isaac’s been limited with minutes, so the most important thing now is that he goes and gets games, gets minutes into his legs, and builds that match fitness back up properly.

“Joe Skarz (Golcar Manager) has been happy to take him there and help him with that, which is great for Isaac and great for us, because it’s all part of getting him back into contention.”

Tracey revealed Emley have strengthened their midfield options with the arrival of Kurtis Turner, a player he believes can add experience, energy and leadership to the group.

“We’ve signed Kurtis Turner, who was captain at Stocksbridge last year and led them to promotion through the play offs. They’ve mutually terminated his contract, and once he became available we spoke with him and he’s decided that Emley is where he wants to continue his football.

“He’s been at Stocksbridge for five years and before that he’d worked under Ian Richards at Penistone Church, so he’s had a good grounding under a manager who sets really high standards.

“Ian rang me straight away when Kurtis became available, which tells you a lot, and I’m thankful for that. It’s also a credit to Ian that he recommended Emley as a good option for Kurtis to consider.”

Tracey believes Turner’s profile is exactly what the squad needed at this stage of the campaign: “We’ve felt for a little while that midfield was an area where we could do with more experience and more bodies,” he said.

“Kurtis is 32, he’s got leadership, he’s captained teams, and he knows what it takes to win at this level. We’ve been a bit light in midfield for numbers, Cleggy’s been injured a lot, Dawson’s been injured more recently, and Hayden has basically played every game, so having Kurtis in gives us that extra option.

“It allows us to protect the squad more, rotate a bit more, and look after people properly, because some lads have had to play through knocks for us at times because we haven’t had those options.

“We see him as a box-to-box midfielder. He’s energetic, he’ll get on the ball, move it, go and win it back again and he’s fit as a butcher’s dog, so he’ll cover ground and bring intensity.

“I think the biggest thing is his experience. That can be really valuable for us, especially for lads like Joe Clegg and Hayden Lindley, helping them develop their non league experience and understand the little details that matter in this division.

“It’s a really good addition to the squad. We weren’t going to jump into something unless it was right, but Kurtis became available and it was the right situation for everyone.”

With the league picture still tight at the top end, Tracey also stressed the importance of keeping focus and momentum in the weeks ahead: “Redcar are in the driving seat and they deserve it to be in their hands because they’ve been the best team in the league and the league table shows that,” he said.

“We’ve just got to concentrate on what we’re doing. All we can do is keep winning our games and, when we do play them, make sure we give ourselves the best chance to win that game. We can’t influence anything else they do, it’s in their hands, but we can control what we do.”

Emley AFC vs Hallam takes place at the Fantastic Media Welfare Ground this Saturday, with Tracey hoping for another strong turnout to help drive the team on.

Richard Tracey is sponsored by Knowl Club, Mirfield.

Club Shop Update
Player Sponsorship - as we are half way through the season, you can now sponsor our remaining unsponsored players for £50. Head over to our online Club Shop to show your support.

2025/26 shirts are now discounted online and in our club shop on match days.
Adults was £45, now £30
Kids was £35, now £25
Head to our online Club Shop while stocks last.