Impressive home form has fuelled Deeping’s battle against relegation

Impressive home form and a miserly defensive record have helped move Deeping Rangers to the verge of safety in the United Counties League. The Clarets are four points clear of the relegation zone in the Premier Division North with just two league matches of the campaign remaining. Brett Whaley's side were 3-0 home winners over relegated Shirebrook Town on Saturday to maintain their excellent run of form at the Haydon Whitham Stadium which has seen Rangers win five of their last six home games while conceding just twice.

The Deeping boss said: "Our home form has been excellent and we've been quite good here for a while. "We've found a way to play on the pitch and we've become really difficult to beat. "Our defending has also been really pleasing.



We've only conceded seven goals in the last nine games which, for a side near the bottom of the league, is excellent. "Everything is still in our own hands and, although the results didn't go in our favour on Saturday to make us safe like we would have liked, we still know that we can't afford not to have intensity in our game. "We want to use the momentum that we're gaining to finish the season off because we're not one of those sides who can just go through the motions.

" Whaley admitted his side had been below-par in the first half of Saturday's match despite taking a two-goal interval lead. Byron Adiado had already seen an effort ruled out for offside before he gave Deeping an early lead with a close range finish. Josh Moreman then netted for the second successive game with a fine finish to double Deeping's advantage on the stroke of half-time.

An early goal in the second half from Adiado then sealed Deeping's success with a much-improved display after the break despite only once adding to their tally. Whaley commented: "I thought we were awful in the first half. It was the worst we had played for a long time.

"We looked lethargic and they were brighter than us. We didn't get around the pitch enough and allowed them too much time and space. "We were poor in the first half in all of the things which we've been good at and the scoreline probably flattered us a little bit.

"We had to remind the players that we're on this run of form because we work hard and we're a unit and we weren't like that in the first half. We were in a game that we probably didn't need to be in. "Ironically, we only scored one goal in the second half but I felt we were much better.

"We controlled the game pretty well and kept another clean sheet which is good. "The clean sheet was the highlight and the reaction to a poor first half performance was good." Deeping complete their league programme with two matches over the Easter weekend.

They host Harrowby United on Saturday before Whaley returns to his former club to face Wisbech Town on Easter Monday..