Knight left frustrated by Bees lack of sting (From Redditch Advertiser)

Knight left frustrated by Bees lack of sting

6:08pm Wednesday 16th January 2013 in Sport

STUDLEY manager Lee Knight is hoping his Bees side not let their recent progress slip away.

Knight was a frustrated figure as he watched his side lose 1-0 to fellow Midland Alliance strugglers Coventry Sphinx on Saturday.

That defeat came hot on the heels of an encouraging 2-1 win over bottom side Ellesmere Rangers, sealed by wonder strikes from JJ Cole and Martin Crawford.

However, in both games the manager was frustrated by Studley’s lack of cutting edge up-front.

Studley have won three of the last five games to strengthen their claim of a mid-table space in the league.

He said: “We scored two good goals against Ellesmere but we should have been four or five up before they pulled a goal back.

“It was the same story against Coventry, where I was disappointed by our final ball and our lack of cutting edge.

“I cannot fault the effort and commitment of the players.

“I turned down a couple of lads who offered to play as a one-off on Saturday and I didn’t think that was fair on the lads we have at the club who have worked hard.

“We’re at a turning point, if we can start scoring goals then I think we’ll be a good side but if we don’t we might just be average.”

Studley face a tough test on Saturday when they entertain top-10 outfit Dunkirk in the league (3pm ko).

However, the Bees recorded an impressive 3-1 at Dunkirk in September.

Knight is still looking for another striker but admits he only wants players prepared to play at the club for a sustained period.

He said: “I only want players who are prepared to play for Studley for at least a couple of months.

“It’s no good players making the odd appearance, that disrupts things.

“But I am still enjoying my football.

“However, I am happy where I am and we’re building for the future.”

Knight will be sweating on the fitness of Scott Turner (ankle), Cole (hamstring) and Danny Charlton (foot).