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Clean sheets key to Town's unbeaten run
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MIDFIELDER Kris Davis’s return to the Dawlish Town line-up has been delayed due to the volcanic ash cloud that has been causing chaos for global airlines.
Davis was due to fly into the UK on Friday after a two-week break in Thailand but, with flights being cancelled because of fears over the ash affecting plane engines, is now one of the thousands of Britons stranded abroad after the eruption of an Icelandic volcano.
Speaking to the Gazette on Monday, Seasiders’ boss Jeff Evans said: ‘Kris still isn’t back – he’s stuck out there.
‘There just isn’t any planes at the moment.’
Even if Davis does return to the country in time to be available for at least one of Dawlish’s final three games of the season – the last of which is scheduled for next Monday – he may not find it such an easy task to reclaim his place in the starting 11.
That’s because his absence has coincided with Town’s current five-match unbeaten run, a sequence they will look to extend in tonight’s match at Larkhall Athletic.
Asked what his message will be to his players before kick-off, Evans – who has a full squad to choose from with the possible exception of Davis and striker Adam Mortimer, who is back helping first-choice club Tiverton Town with their battle against relegation from the Zamaretto League Premier – said: ‘I’ll just tell them to keep the same thing going.
‘The biggest part of it is the fact we’ve kept three clean sheets on the trot (against Bishop Sutton, Brislington and Bristol Manor Farm).
‘It makes a huge difference when you’re not letting the goals in.’
After the Larkhall clash, Town host last season’s champions Bitton on Saturday – left-back Luke Martin will be unavailable for that match as he has been called up to play for Devon – before wrapping up the campaign with a trip to local rivals Willand Rovers on Monday.
Dawlish’s recent run of good form has lifted them up to ninth in the Toolstation Western League Premier table but, with Evans’ charges having at least one game in hand on several of the teams above them, they still have an outside chance of finishing in the top six.
By Dean Stacey
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