Holleran still happy to be mixing it with the best in the country

Leamington boss Paul Holleran says the club’s recent struggles are what happens when you refuse to settle for an easy life.
Jordan Murphy takes on his marker in the 1-0 home defeat by Stockport County in midweek. Picture: Tim NunanJordan Murphy takes on his marker in the 1-0 home defeat by Stockport County in midweek. Picture: Tim Nunan
Jordan Murphy takes on his marker in the 1-0 home defeat by Stockport County in midweek. Picture: Tim Nunan

Brakes’ winless National League North sequence extended to ten games with Tuesday night’s narrow defeat to Stockport following on from a 1-1 draw at Boston on Saturday.

It threatens to undo all the hard work of November which saw Brakes waltz through the month unbeaten in both league and cup competitions.

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But despite not having tasted a league win since November 20, Holleran says the challenge of mixing it with a string of former League clubs and established non-League heavyweights is one to be relished.

“The league is relentless,” said Holleran. “But this is what we worked so hard for and what we want.

“It would be easy for me to be a decent side at Step 3, plodding along around the play-offs.

“Or, do you want to be in the best part-time league in the country?

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“We’ve played two ex-League teams in the last few days and we’ve gone 1-1 and 1-0 with depleted teams.

“Stockport are a big, strong, powerful side and we matched them for long periods.

“You couldn’t argue that they weren’t the better side on the night but we could easily have got a 1-0 or a 1-1 and it’s been like that the last few weeks.

“I’d much rather have times when when you ask questions of yourself. I’d much rather be here than where we used to be and that is what we are striving for.”

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Despite having to go back to November for their last maximum, Brakes have lost only three of their last ten and Holleran is still in a positive frame of mind ahead of the visit of Altrincham tomorrow.

“Having everyone available is key for us,” he said.

“We’ve got a run of games now when we can get some positive results.

“The points we have picked up have kept us away from the danger zone and now we need one or two wins to allow us to play with a bit of freedom.”

n Holleran has moved to cover for the injury Kieran Dunbar sustained at Boston by signing West Bromwich Albion youngster Sam Wilding on loan.