Emley AFC picked up two points over the Easter weekend with a goalless draw against Redcar Athletic followed by a late 1-1 stalemate away at Ossett United, with assistant manager Steve Nicholson praising his side’s resilience while admitting there is still more to come.

The Pewits now turn their attention to a home clash with North Ferriby, as they look to maintain their play-off push and build momentum heading into the final stages of the season.

Reflecting on the 0-0 draw against league leaders Redcar Athletic, Nicholson was full of praise for his side’s performance against one of the division’s most potent attacking teams.

He said: “I thought it was a tremendous performance, to be honest. When you look at the chances we created and the opposition we were up against, there’s a lot to be pleased with. We’ve come up against the league’s top scorers, a side that’s hit over 130 goals this season, and to keep a clean sheet against them, home and away, and take four points off them is a fantastic achievement.

“The attitude and energy from the lads was exactly what we asked for. After the disappointment of the Bridlington result, they really stepped up and produced a performance in front of our home supporters that reflects the standards we’ve set, particularly during that strong run in February.

“Redcar are a top side and full credit to them you can see why they’ve won the league. They’ve got quality all over the pitch, especially going forward, and they put real pressure on you. But I thought we dealt with that really well. In truth, they didn’t create too many clear-cut chances, and on another day we could have won the game ourselves.

“Their goalkeeper getting man of the match probably tells you everything you need to know. We had the better opportunities, and it shows the level of performance we produced.”

The Pewits followed that up with a hard-fought 1-1 draw at Ossett United, where a late equaliser ensured Nicholson’s side left with a point.

He commented: “In all honesty, it’s a result that probably doesn’t help either side. From our point of view, we went there knowing it was a game we needed to win to strengthen our play-off position.

“I thought for the first half an hour, Ossett wanted it more than us. They were physical, they got stuck in, and on a difficult pitch that didn’t really suit how we want to play. They deserved to be in front at that stage, even if the goal we conceded was a disappointing one straight from a corner.

“That said, second half I thought we were much better. We had a few words at half-time and reminded the lads about how we want to play – getting the ball down and showing composure, regardless of the conditions. I thought we really responded to that.

“We were the better side in the second half and were knocking on the door towards the end. On another day, if we don’t give that early goal away, I think we go on to win the game. But credit to the lads for sticking at it and getting something out of it late on.”

Attention now turns to Saturday’s home fixture against North Ferriby, with Nicholson keen to see his side return to winning ways.

“It’s another tough game for us. They’re a side we know well, and if we’re honest, our record against them isn’t great. That’s something we’re looking to put right.

“They’re in good form at the moment. I think they’ve been unbeaten since the start of March, and you can see they’ve built some momentum and are climbing the table. So we know exactly what kind of challenge we’re facing.

“From our side, we’ve not quite hit the levels we’d want in recent weeks, so it’s about putting that right. We’re at home, and we want to be putting three points on the board.”

Nicholson also provided an update on the squad ahead of the weekend:
“We’ve got a few issues at the moment. Jack Cowgill is still unavailable with injury, and Joe Stacey is away with work in America, so they won’t be involved.

“We’ve got a few lads who are not quite 100%, probably around 80% fit, so we’ll have to manage that. It does open the door for some of the younger players to come in, the Under-23s have done really well and deserve their opportunity to step up and be involved.”

With the play-off race heating up, Nicholson remains clear on the objective for the final games of the campaign: “The aim hasn’t changed we want to finish as high as possible, ideally second or third, to give ourselves a home tie in the play-offs. That’s something we’ve targeted since the start of the season.

“There are no easy games at this stage. People look at the table and think games against teams lower down should be straightforward, but often they’re the toughest because those sides are fighting for their lives.

“We’ll be aiming for maximum points from the remaining games. That would put us in a strong position, but there’s still a lot to play for, especially with teams around us playing each other.

“It’s going to be a real battle, but we back ourselves. We’ve shown this season we can compete with the best sides in the league, and now it’s about finishing the job.”