Stark warning from Bamber Bridge caretaker boss Matt Lawlor ahead of Scarborough visit

Do the business or lose your place in the team – that is the message from caretaker boss Matt Lawlor as Bamber Bridge continue their fight for survival this weekend.
Matt Lawlor is making no bones about what he needs from his Brig players (photo: Ruth Hornby)Matt Lawlor is making no bones about what he needs from his Brig players (photo: Ruth Hornby)
Matt Lawlor is making no bones about what he needs from his Brig players (photo: Ruth Hornby)

The Brig centre half – along with Joey Collins – has been handed the task of guiding the club away from the NPL Premier Division danger zone following the resignation of Mick Taylor last week.

The joint managerial duo have five games to steer the team to safety.

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Their task got even more difficult on Tuesday night after third bottom Mickleover Sports defeated second-bottom Workington 1-0 to go level on points with Brig.

Only goal difference is keeping Brig out of the bottom three and in a further twist to the tale, Brig face Mickleover on the final day of the season at the Sir Tom Finney Stadium.

Lawlor and Collins’ first game in charge was at Basford on Saturday and despite dominating most of the match, Brig went down to a 1-0 defeat – their eighth successive loss in all competitions.

While pleased with the performance, Lawlor urged his men that there is no time to feel sorry for themselves especially with what is at stake as they prepare to welcome Scarborough Athletic to the Sir Tom Finney Stadium this week.

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“We will be more direct in terms of what we are asking from the players,”Lawlor said.

“If we don’t get what we are asking then we will find somebody else within the squad.

“We have got a squad of 21 and we need to get back to what made us successful in the past – and that’s being organised and disciplined and playing our football at the right times.”

Scarborough will be no easy task this weekend – they still have an outside chance of reaching the play-offs – six points off fifth place.

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“They’ve got a massive budget, a massive club at this level,” said Lawlor. “They are a good, strong side, but I back us to win, especially if we carry on setting the standards we set on Saturday.

“That was the best we have played in two months, apart from the 3-3 draw we had at South Shields.”