Smith Admits U's Did Play Well Against The Shots

Last updated : 18 September 2007 By Stray Shots Team

Scottish striker Gary Twigg's hopes of being fit for Thursday's Blue Square Premier game at Histon have been dashed, by his own manager, who says he will not take risks by hurrying his rehabilitation from an ankle injury.

And summer signing Joel Ledgister has suffered a further setback, to the United manager's great fustration.

Following the U's 3-2 defeat by Aldershot on Saturday, their first home defeat of the season, Jim Smith said: "Twigg is reasonably near. He said to me he would be ready for Thursday, but I wouldn't play him then.

"Joel's is an injury I can't work out, and I'm not very happy about how long it's been.

"Last Friday, I thought he would be on the bench. It's strange, he was running really, really well, but then he gets this pain in his ligament. It's something that concerns us."

United physio Neil Sullivan confirmed in his programe notes for the Aldershot game that Ledgister's knee ligaments problem is ongoing.

"Gary Twigg went through a spell where progress was slow, but now things are getting better and we are seeing steady progress," Sullivan stated.

"It has been slow and steady progress, but he's not too far off now.

"That 'slow and steady' is important because sometimes you can rush things and that can have an adverse effect.

"Joel Ledgister was looking good and almost back in the squad, but that proved his downfall last week.

"Joel is so keen to impress and so enthusiastic that he overdid things and his knee became sore again.

"He is an exciting player, but to prevent it happening again we need to hold him back and make sure he's 100 per cent this time."

Smith appears to be losing the support of some fans as results go against the team. After their succession of draws at the start of this month, United have won just one of their last six games, and two of their five matches at home.

But Smith laughed off suggestions he was under pressure.

"We're only five home games into the season," he said.

"I have watched the video of Saturday's game, and as a performance at home, it was as good as we've played.

"I just think that without silly Arthur (Gnohere), a silly second goal and if Robinson had scored one of the three great chances he had, we'd have won that game. But as a performance, it was good."

And he rejected some of the heavy criticism Robinson took after the game.

"He worked very hard," he said.

The Histon game is taking on great importance for United, though, because it's their only game this week while nearly all the other teams play both tonight and on Saturday.

And Histon themselves are at home to Torquay this evening, before facing United 48 hours later, which will place a strain on the Cambridgeshire outfit's powers of recovery and fitness.

Smith said: "You have to say it's a big ask for them, and a strange decision, but they must know what they are doing."

Source: http://www.oxfordmail.net