Bell keen to increase supply line to Fleetwood strikers

Fleetwood Town left-back Amari'i Bell says he is trying to up his assist ratio as Town look to end a three-game scoring drought at Swindon Town today.
Fleetwood Town's Amari'i Bell  Photographer Andrew Vaughan/CameraSportFleetwood Town's Amari'i Bell  Photographer Andrew Vaughan/CameraSport
Fleetwood Town's Amari'i Bell Photographer Andrew Vaughan/CameraSport

Swindon have conceded 10 goals in their last two games, with 21-year-old rookie keeper Tyrell Belford letting in four against Wigan Athletic on Good Friday and another six against Scunthorpe on Easter Monday.

Bell admitted some of his crosses have not been up to his usual high standard this term and vowed to up his game, starting against his former club Swindon.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

The 21-year-old defender played 11 games for Swindon during a five-month loan spell from Birmingham last term.

And he says Town’s 5-1 home win over the Robins in the reverse fixture back in November will give them confidence ahead of today’s game, as they know they can score against them.

And he beleives it is a good time to play them after Swindon’s last two results and says that if Town play in the same clinical manner as they did against them at Highbury then they can take a vital three points to aid their relegation fight.

He said: “They have conceded a lot of goals recently and the last time we played them we also scored five.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

“It proves we know that we can score goals against them if we are on our game.

“It is (a good time to play them) to be fair I think it is going to be a hard game because they are going to want to come back from them defeats so it is going to be a tough game.

“But as long as we can get on top of them and play the way that we did previously against them then I am sure that we can win the game.

“I’m trying to add more crosses to my game. I think this season my crosses have been poor, so I’m working hard on that to try and improve and hopefully get a lot more assists.”

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Town are level on 41 points with 21st-placed Oldham, who occupy the last spot in the drop zone.

But their superior goal difference (minus-five compared to Oldham’s minus-13) is keeping them out of the bottom four.

And Bell says that the team is confident and that they must not change their style of passing out from the back, and keep believing in themselves in the final eight games, if they want to ensure their League One status.

He said; “We are very confident we can stay up.

“Every game we play we believe that we can win.

“We just want to concentrate on ourselves and do everything that we can to keep us up.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

“We need to carry on playing out from the back and keep playing our way.

“If things aren’t going right for us then we need to stay strong and keep doing the right things and that will see us through the games.

“Obviously it can be risky but the manager believes in us and we believe in ourselves which are the main things.

“Being able to play the way we do you definitely need to believe in yourself and have that confidence.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

“We work every day on the training field at the things we should do in the game so the more we work on it the better we will be.

“If we do those things right, we should be fine.”

In a season that has seen most of Steven Pressley’s defence wiped out at some point due to injury full-back Bell is one of the only near ever presents having played 43 times so far this campaign.

With Stephen Jordan, Nathan Pond, Danny Andrew, Conor McLaughlin, Tyler Forbes, Joe Davis and on-loan Sheffield United left-back Bob Harris all being sidelined at some points in the season, Bell has managed to avoid a lengthy injury.

He said: “I have been able to get a nice run of games.”

l Town have announced three pre-season friendlies against Stockport County, Salford City and Southport.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Earlier this week the club revealed they would be having a three game pre-season tour in the Netherlands from Sunday July 17 to Saturday July 23.

The Cod Army will travel to Stockpor’s Edgeley Park on Wednesday, July 13, (7.45pm).

On Saturday, July 16, Town face Salford City at Moor Lane (3pm). Steven Pressley will then take his side to Southport on Tuesday, July 26, (7.45pm).