Emley AFC manager Richard Tracey believes his side's recent performances have deserved more than the results suggest, as the Pewits prepare for Saturday's trip to Stockton Town before welcoming Worksop Town in the County Cup on Tuesday evening.

The Pewits have endured a frustrating period in the Northern Premier League, with missed opportunities proving costly in recent matches against Gainsborough Trinity and FC United of Manchester.

Despite the disappointment, Tracey believes there have been encouraging signs from his players, particularly following the abandoned fixture against Bamber Bridge, where the Emley boss was left unhappy with his side's first half display.

Reflecting on the two most recent outings, Tracey admitted that his side could easily have taken maximum points from both matches.
He said: "Looking back at our recent results against Gainsborough and FC United, I think we're disappointed because, in both games, the results haven't reflected the performances we've put in.

"I genuinely believe we've deserved to win both games. The frustrating thing is that you almost couldn't write the script because, in both matches, we've had opportunities to go 2-0 up, hit the crossbar, and then within a minute the opposition have gone up the other end and scored.

"That's incredibly frustrating for us because we're creating the opportunities to put games to bed, but we're not taking them. At the moment, that's how things seem to be falling for us, and we've got to accept that, keep working hard and find a way to put it right."

Emley took the lead against Gainsborough through Rinor Ejupi but were unable to turn their advantage into three points, despite creating opportunities to extend their lead.

It was a similar story at Broadhurst Park on Tuesday evening, where Ejupi was again on the scoresheet before former Premier League striker Adam Le Fondre equalised for FC United.

Tracey believes the inability to convert chances into goals has been one of the biggest factors behind his side's recent results. He continued: "Tuesday night's point was a positive in the grand scheme of things, particularly coming off the back of a few defeats. It was important to stop that run and get something on the board, but we're still disappointed that we didn't come away with all three points.

"We're getting ourselves into good positions, but missed chances are hurting us at the minute. If we can get that second goal and give ourselves a two-goal cushion, it obviously makes it much more difficult for the opposition to find a way back into the game. From a performance point of view, though, I've been pleased with the reaction we've shown in those two matches, especially after what happened against Bamber Bridge.

"Although that game was abandoned, the performance in the first half was unacceptable, and I made that very clear to everybody in the dressing room. It wasn't good enough, and we needed to see a reaction from the players.

"I do feel we've had that positive reaction in the last two games. The performances have been much better, and we've shown the sort of things that we've been looking for.

"Ultimately, we're unlucky not to have put six points on the board this week, and that's the disappointing thing."

Away from the pitch, Tracey has confirmed further changes to his playing squad, with two players departing and new additions arriving as the club continues to strengthen its options.
Kiyani Clayton looks set to leave the Pewits after receiving an offer from a Sheffield-based club, just weeks after arriving at Emley.

Meanwhile, Edy Maieco has returned to Hyde United after struggling with the demands of travelling from Stockport for training and matches.

Tracey explained: "I've actually just been informed today that Kiyani Clayton has taken up an offer from a Sheffield FC, which is disappointing.

"He's only been with us for a couple of weeks, so it's frustrating that it looks like he's going to be moving on so soon.

"People might not have been aware that Edy was travelling over from Stockport, and he's found that journey incredibly difficult, particularly when it comes to getting to training.

"Because of that, he has decided to return to Hyde, which is understandable given the travelling involved, but it's another player that we've lost from the squad."

Despite those departures, the Emley boss remains determined to bring further reinforcements into the club.

Alex O'Connor has already impressed during his first two appearances, while experienced 29 year old midfielder Danny Devine has also joined the Pewits.

Tracey is also hopeful of welcoming Niall Heaton back into contention, with Danny South remaining another potential option.

He said: "We're continuing to work really hard behind the scenes to bring bodies into the football club because we know we need to strengthen and make sure we've got enough options available to us.

"Hopefully, people have already seen what Alex O'Connor can bring to the team. Alex has come in and done terrifically well in his first two games, and I've been really pleased with the impact he's made.

"We've also brought in Danny Devine, who's a 29-year-old experienced midfielder. Danny will be looking to get involved with us as we move forward, and he gives us another option in that area of the pitch.

"Hopefully, we'll also have Niall Heaton back in the short term, which would be another positive for us. Danny South, who played for us against Workington, will continue to be available to us when circumstances allow, so we've got some options there that we can look at."

However, Emley's injury problems continue to present challenges, with several players picking up knocks during Tuesday's encounter against FC United.

Tracey added: "We've also got a few injury concerns at the moment. Gabby, Barksy and Jack Cowgill all picked up injuries on Tuesday night, so we'll have to assess those and see exactly where we are with them.

"Unfortunately, for a couple of those players, it's probably not looking particularly great at this stage.

"We'll have to see how things develop, but it's another challenge for us in terms of managing the squad and making sure we've got enough players available for the games coming up."

Emley returned to Northern Premier League action on Saturday with a trip to Stockton Town, a side that have established themselves as competitive opponents at Step 3.

The Pewits will face another demanding test away from home, with Stockton's artificial playing surface adding a different challenge for Tracey's players.

Stockton recently shared the points with FC United of Manchester in a 2-2 draw, and Tracey knows his side will need to be at their best to secure a positive result.

He said: "Stockton is going to be a really tough game for us. We're going up there away from home, playing on an artificial surface, against a team that's performed really well at Step 3 over the last couple of years.

"They've got some very good players in their squad, including a few that we've come across before as a management team when they were representing Darlington, so we know the quality they've got and the challenge we're going to face.

"They drew with FC United at the weekend, and I think they were beaten in a close game during the week, so we'll be looking at those performances and doing our analysis ahead of Saturday.

"We'll be studying how they play, what their strengths are and, importantly, how we can go there and affect the game ourselves."

For Tracey, the emphasis remains on ensuring his players build on their recent displays while showing greater composure in front of goal.

He continued: "For us, it's about building on Tuesday night's performance and making sure we continue to show that positive reaction we've seen over the last couple of games.

"The big thing is that we've got to improve when those opportunities come our way. We've been creating chances, but we need to be more clinical in front of goal.

"If we get ourselves into a position where we've got the opportunity to take the game away from the opposition, then we've got to make sure we do that.

"That's certainly what we'll be intending to do on Saturday. We know it's going to be difficult, but we'll go there looking to put in another strong performance and, hopefully, this time get the result that our performance deserves."

Following Saturday's league encounter, Emley will turn their attention to cup football when Step 2 side Worksop Town visit the Fantastic Media Welfare Ground on Tuesday evening.

The fixture will see Worksop manager Craig Parry return to Emley with his side, presenting the Pewits with an opportunity to test themselves against higher-level opposition.

However, with injuries continuing to stretch the squad, Tracey admits that he faces a difficult balancing act between progressing in the competition and protecting his players for the challenges ahead in the league.

He said: "Then, of course, we've got the dreaded curse of the County Cup, with Worksop Town coming to Emley on Tuesday night! It's a difficult one for us at the moment because of where we are with the squad and the number of players we've got available, so we've got to think carefully about how we approach the game.

"Ideally, we'd love to go into it with the strongest team we possibly can, test ourselves against Worksop, who are a Step 2 club, and really see where we're at against opposition playing at that level.

"However, the reality is that we might have to look at where the squad is at, particularly with the injuries and the number of players available, and make decisions based on that."

Despite the selection challenges, Tracey insists Emley will approach the fixture with the intention of progressing to the next round

He concluded: "Ultimately, our aim will still be to try to get a result against Worksop and progress into the next round of the County Cup. It's a competition that we always want to do well in, and that won't change. We certainly won't be taking the game lightly, regardless of what team we put out.

"At the same time, we've got to be sensible and balance that ambition with the needs of the league, particularly given the position we're in at the moment and the importance of the games we've got coming up.

"We'll assess the squad, look at what options we've got and make a decision on how best to approach it.

"But we're certainly looking forward to welcoming Craig Parry and his players back to Emley on Tuesday night, and we'll be doing everything we can to try to get through to the next round.”