Norman Stalker braced for a tough Ludlow test against Eccleshall
League leaders Ludlow could hardly have an easier-looking resumption to their promotion campaign tomorrow – but don't say that to coach Norman Stalker.
His side, who enter the new year a point clear at the top of Midlands 3 West (North), host bottom but one Eccleshall.
The visitors' record is a distorted mirror image of Ludlow's results – the leaders have one defeat so far, the Staffordshire outfit one victory.
But Stalker was breaking into a rueful chuckle before the "Easy game this Saturday?" question had even been completed.
"We struggled with them at their place," he admitted. "We were 14 points down with 15 minutes to go and were really struggling.
"We were on our way to a defeat until the last 15 minutes of the game when we turned it round and won 30-something to 20-odd (35-25).
"They gave us a really hard time. Their season doesn't seem to have gone very well, but we seemed to find it very tough.
"They looked very organised, they knew what they were about when they played us.
"I am not envisaging it being an easy game. We will have to be somewhere near where we were before Christmas to be comfortable."
Ludlow, as with many Shropshire sides, have player availability issues due to agricultural work – sheep farmers moving into the lambing season is the latest issue.
"We've got all the agricultural things that happen with the guys in the squad," added Stalker.
"We know we are going to have Saturdays when we are not at full strength.
"We may be without two or three this weekend from what would have been our first choice XV.
"But I am pretty confident the side we put out will be good enough. We have got enough cover, enough strength in depth."
Ludlow will leave nothing to chance – they trained twice over the festive break and fitted in two further sessions this week as they pick up the promotion chase.
"It's all for us to do," added Stalker of his team's prospects.
"If we have a second half of the season like the first half, we will get promoted. If we can string the results together, it's all in our control.
"But I remember thinking that way last season – we lost games, one by a point, and missed out. It can happen. We just have to keep our heads."
