FOOTBALL is a tough game at the best of times but it's doubly difficult when you are in a run like ours.

It is not easy for all kinds of reasons but we've no intention of sitting here feeling sorry for ourselves.

In fact to be honest the situation has strengthened our resolve to get it right and to keep working hard to turn results around.

We acknowledge the fact that we are in a poor run but it's the first one in four years.

There's no magic wand to wave to suddenly make it alright though.

The only way out of it is to roll up your sleeves, as you would in any other area of life, and stick at it.

It's no good sinking under the pressure, you have to stand up and be counted and for the players that's out on the pitch.

In these circumstances it's time for strong characters because there are no hiding places on a football pitch.

On Saturday against Hednesford no one was hiding and they haven't been for a few weeks now.

We're not creeping around trying to dodge the fact that we are not doing well at the moment and if there is criticism to be dished out we will take that as well.

Saturday's defeat to Hednesford was indicative of many of games of late where we've enjoyed a lot of possession but have not looked threatening enough.

I didn't think we deserved to lose to Hednesford who are the form team of the moment.

But while recognising that we've not been in the best of nick I don't think there was anything between the sides.

Our problem is that we have not created too many chances for Leon Kelly and Adam Webster.

We've been in some good situations and good positions on the pitch, but whether it's through a loose pass, or last minute break-down, we have ultimately been unproductive.

We had decent spells of pressure on Saturday but had nothing to show for it.

There is no disputing it is a difficult time because basically we've not had a run like this before in my time here. That's why it is difficult to take on board. It's new to us.

But you never beat the game. Ultimately the game always wins, whether you are having a good or bad run. At the end of the day you play 42 games and have spells that bring hope and optimism others that test you and we are in one of those.

But the great thing is that there is always the next match and this weekend gives us a chance to exact revenge on Weston who beat us with a fluke goal earlier in the season.

A bit of fortune at either end of the pitch wouldn't go amiss but I don't want to rely on that. We must turn it round ourselves.

We'll take whatever comes our way on the chin but now the only thing that matters for the club is to win a football match.

Finally Ian Cottrill has a testimonial on Monday.

Ian was a tremendous non-league player in terms of both his ability and his character.

Life as a manager would be a lot easier if you had a dressing room full of Ian Cottrills.

Trying to sum Ian up is best illustrated by the day he put personal grief aside following the death of his father to help me and the club out.

His father had passed away in the morning but he turned up because we were up against it, struggling to field a team, he knew that, and said 'I'm alright to play'.

It was the mark of the man and I hope he gets the turnout he deserves on Monday.

JOHN BARTON was talking to reporter NAT SYLVESTER.