CRAIG Laird is confident that Yate Town are heading in the right direction this season despite their fifth defeat in seven matches.

The Bluebells last won on October 24 when they scored a sensational victory over Swindon Supermarine by 5-2 at Lodge Road.

But the Yate Town manager is not overly concerned about the run of results and said he and the team were trying hard to get that win.

Yate played decently in their last two matches before a desperately unfortunate defeat with the last kick of the game against Evo-Stik Southern League Division One South and West leaders Cinderford Town on Tuesday night.

And, with a number of Yate players due back at Lodge Road this Saturday, only this time wearing the colours of Taunton Town, the hope is that the improved performances can finally come to fruition and the run of poor luck can come to an end.

Indeed, the 1-0 defeat at Cinderford on Tuesday belied a great effort from Yate where Lady Luck was not on their side.

Cinderford goalkeeper Alex Harris was, said Laird, fortunate not to be sent off when he picked the ball up outside his penalty area with Alec Fiddes bearing down on him and the defence nowhere.

“It was a deliberate handball. The ball was played back to the goalkeeper, Alec was chasing it through and (as the last line of defence) he picked it up outside the box,” said Laird.

“If that had been (Yate keeper Martin) Horsell, he would have been sent off for that. We are just not getting the rub of the green at the moment.”

Yate ended a run of four consecutive defeats since that Swindon Supermarine stormer when a goal-less draw with Bishop’s Cleeve three weeks ago, and then went to high-flying North Leigh to battle for a 1-1 draw last Saturday week.

And they were in line to make it three draws in a row on Tuesday when Cinderford sub Ryan Shaw put the ball into the net with the last kick of the game.

That goal came in extended stoppage time, which was another piece of bad luck that struck the Bluebells.

Laird said of that game: “I am really pleased with the performance and I was really disappointed with the result.

“We are heading in the right direction. Both matches we have played against them (Cinderford), we have lost by the odd goal. We are still developing with the side and you see the way that they played and know it’s something we have to try and copy.

“Defensively, we look very solid now and we have just got to stick the ball in the net at the other end.”

Laird has not shirked away from the obvious as Yate approach a crucial part of the league season – the Christmas and New Year period – as they lay 14th in the division and are looking below them rather than thinking of making the play-offs at the top end of the table.

“We have been through a bit of a bad spell and the loss against Cinderford was a bit of a kick in the groin.

“Our game over the whole of the season has not been bad and we have put good performances in against good sides.”

Laird looked to that Taunton match saying: “If we play like we did last week against North Leigh and Bishop’s Cleeve and Cinderford, we will be more than capable of getting something from the game.

“There are a few ex-Yate players who are at Taunton now and we have a couple from Taunton here so there is a little bit of history between them but we go into it as just another game.”

But Laird is adamant that his vision for the club is not just about this season. He said: “We don’t want to buy a team. We want to develop the young lads and put together something that will last for the next ten years and not boom and bust.”