Deeney in at the deep end

Step forward young Irish one.

With Mildenhall out for the rest of the season, Garden struggling with a hernia injury and Arphexad slipping away seemingly unnoticed back to Coventry, Mills has been left with no alternative but to deploy highly-rated Ireland youngster, Saul Deeney, 21, between the sticks at Meadow Lane tomorrow.

Deeney, yet to make a first team appearance this campaign, has spent his third consecutive season now as understudy to Garden and Mildenhall and, under similar circumstances as late last season, we are looking towards the inexperienced Deeney as a suitable replacement.

Although, casting our minds again to the back end of last season, Deeney was called upon and, bar the nerves you’d expect from such an untested figure, produced satisfactory performances in some of the final games of the campaign.

This time, however, the steaks are higher, much higher and as our friends across the river learned in patches this season, a relegation battle is no place for a rookie goalkeeper.

Mills continues to do without winger, Tony Scully as he continues to harbour an ankle ligament injury picked up in the 4-1 caning at Layer Road earlier this month.

Scully hopes to be back into contention for the ultimate game of the season at home to Oldham, who themselves had been flirting with relegation throughout the season as Mills takes his makeshift line-up, a day after calling for spirit, into the game that will decide our future as a Division Two club – or, if you’re that way inclined, a Third Division club.