FIVE consecutive away games will “define the season”, according to Preston Athletic manager Jack Lynch.
The Prestonpans side can go top of the First Division Conference B table if they win their games in hand but face a tough run-in between now and the end of May.
Newburgh visit the Pennypit this weekend before Kinnoull come to East Lothian on Tuesday evening.
After that, Preston face games away to second-placed Glenrothes, Lochore Welfare, Heriot-Watt University, Luncarty and Easthouses Lily.
Lynch was looking forward to the testing period and said: “It is three points for a win but the game against Glenrothes – that is the proverbial six-pointer.
“Oakley are top of the league but Glenrothes can go beyond them if they win their games in hand.
“If we win all of our games, we would possibly be four points ahead of Glenrothes but we have them to play.
“If we play them and beat them, it gives us a seven-point gap.
“Oakley have a really tough run-in against Lochore and Heriot-Watt University while Glenrothes, barring this Saturday and against ourselves, they are playing teams from the bottom half of the league.
“Ourselves, nearly every team we are playing, barring this Saturday, is near the top.
“The next few weeks will define the season.”
Lynch’s men cut the gap on the leading teams with a comfortable 6-0 win over Newburgh on Saturday.
Penalties from Mikey Hamilton and Paul Currie, as well as strikes from Marc Malloy, Brandon Archibald, Jonny Grotlin and Byron Archibald, ensured the East Lothian team returned with three points.
Preston sit two points adrift of Glenrothes – with two games in hand – and six points behind Oakley, with four games in hand.
Lynch said: “The pleasing aspect about it was we scored six goals away from home, kept a clean sheet and had six different goalscorers.
“Usually, you would have strikers scoring two or three but the goals are coming from everywhere in the team just now.
“We are coming to the end of the season and that goalscoring is really good.”
The two sides meet again at the Pennypit on Saturday and the manager has warned his team about any potential slip-ups.
League leaders Oakley are not in action and Preston would close the gap further with a victory.
Lynch said: “We just tell the players you get three points for a win.
“We are trying to win a league and you cannot look past the next opponents.
“You have got to treat them with the upmost respect, regardless of what happened last week.
“Newburgh have drawn against some really good teams this season.
“They played Luncarty and drew 0-0 and then two weeks later they played them again at Luncarty and got beat 9-1.
“That is the thing in football, teams can get results here and there.
“It will be about how we approach it in training and making sure the boys are not complacent.”
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here