FRUSTRATED Shawbury United manager Dave Richards is hoping his Midland Football League Premier Division strugglers can bounce back from Saturday’s narrow 1-0 defeat at the hands of mid-table Heanor Town and climb away from the foot of the table.

And with four teams slowly being cast adrift at the bottom, his aim is to beat those sides around United and finish at the top of that quartet.

“It was frustrating on Saturday as we should have got something out of the game,” Richards said.

“We had two or three good chances but we’ve switched off for a moment and they have hit us on the break.

“Ian Havard has pulled off a great save and then Sean Evans has had a good chance at the end but has missed the target with just the keeper to beat.

“There’s a bit of a gap opening up but we still have to play most of the sides around us so I think it’s in our own hands.

"We have 13 home games left and eight of those are against the teams down there with us.”

Richards added that the uncertainty of not knowing how many sides would be relegated at the end of the season wasn’t helping their cause – or that of any of their relegation rivals.

“Nobody really knows how many will be going down at the end of the season so we just need to get as many points at possible.

“The league has split into four and it’s no surprise to see the teams down there

"They are likely to be the ones fighting it out unless one of them decides to throw some money at it but why would you do that if, at the end of the season, six go down rather than the three?”

Shawbury head to another mid-table side on Saturday, AFC Wulfrunains.