Wisbech Town boss hails supporters ahead of visit from league leaders Loughborough

Wisbech Town manager Leon Mettam has hailed the club’s supporters going into Saturday’s huge home clash against Loughborough Students.

The students are eight points clear at the top of the United Counties League Premier Division North table and Mettam knows his side will have to be at their very best if they are to get anything out of the game.

But after a difficult first season at the helm, the Fenmen chief believes the Fountain Park Fresh faithful can recognise the recent improvement on the pitch.

“It’s going to be a really tough test test against the league leaders, so we needed the three points,” admitted Mettam after the 4-2 victory over Heather St Johns.

“We’ve got a huge couple of games coming up and it was nice to get back on the winning trail after a thumping last Wednesday night.

“We’ll keep building. I think our fans have been brilliant all season and I think they can recognise what we’re trying to do and the improvement in our play.

“We’re trying to be a good footballing team. Sometimes the pitches don’t allow us to do that and we have to play no-risk football, but it’s about trying to get that happy medium and building on it.”

The Wisbech boss revealed that he would have loved to have kept weekend hat-trick hero Charley Sanders at the club.

The returning frontman – widely tipped with a move to Corby Town – helped Mettam out by playing as a favour and duly obliged by bagging a treble.

Cenk Acar scored the other goal in a game that saw Amir Ward sent-off for the home side early in the second half.

“Charley helped us out at Eastwood earlier in the season. He is registered to us but was also registered to Bedford as well, but he left them this week,” said Mettam.

“He just needed 90 minutes really to help keep his fitness up before he goes off to pastures new.

“I’d have loved to have kept him here but he’s probably a level or two levels above where we’re at presently. I know that, I’m not stupid.

“But when he comes in, scores a hat-trick and gets your team over the line with his presence, know-how and his finishing, that’s why I brought him in.

“He loves it here, but we’re not quite at the level where he wants to be, but he has said that he will help us out when he can, which is amazing because he doesn’t have to.

“He could have had the Saturday off and done what he wanted, but he chose to play for us.”

Mettam has also resigned himself to being without Mo Janneh for the remainder of the campaign.

Janneh went down with an illness and subsequently ended up in hospital following the 6-1 Cambs Invitation Cup defeat to Cambridge City last week.

“I can’t say too much but he hasn’t been very well,” said the Wisbech boss.

“He’s a great character to have around and has been superb for us all season. He moved up from London in the summer to come to play for us so his dedication has never been in doubt.

“Mo is gutted because he’s played for us on Wednesday night, then come down with an illness and ended up in hospital.

“I don’t know too much about it but he’s gone back down to London and I probably think it’s season over for him.

“He hasn’t left the club because he’s wanted to and it’ll be sad to see him go if he doesn’t end up coming back.”

It again leaves Wisbech thin on the ground ahead of the weekend with Mettam saying: “We’re now short on numbers, but that’s where we’ve been all year.

“We’ve tried to improve and we have improved but then there’s always something else, whether it’s injuries or suspensions.

“We make one or two moves forward, then get knocked one or two steps back.”