Jacobs: Ilford preparing for promotion push in final four weeks of season

Jacobs' men welcome Fives & Heronians to Valentines Park on Saturday, hoping that a clean sweep in the season run-in could see them promoted to the Hamro Foundation Essex League Premier Division.

Fives currently sit in fourth place in Division One, one position and just a single point ahead of Ilford.

And after their game against leaders Hutton was rained off last Saturday, Jacobs said his team was ready for the return to action.

“We have got four games left of the season and I think we know as a team that we need to win all four games to get promoted,” Jacobs said.

“We feel confident, we beat Fives the first time around at their place and we are in really good form. I think if we win this week’s game, we can hopefully set up a promotion push.”

Jacobs said his side were “expecting a tough game” against Fives and admitted that “any team on their day can pose a threat” but said Ilford felt confident going into the game.

He noted that the team have just played against “the two best teams in the league” - Hutton and Buckhurst Hill and that Fives had been top of the league when Ilford beat them earlier this year.

He said: “We lost against Buckhurst Hill but before that we’ve gone eight weeks unbeaten and we’ve got four absolute superstars.

“All we can do is try to win the next two games and if there are two teams that are better than us, fair enough.”

*Oakfield Parkonians managed to beat the wet weather to win by 19 runs at Division Two rivals Westcliff last weekend.

Captain Paran Kalley (41) top scored in their total of 141, with Ravi Teja Dwaraka (30) and Janagan Vijayanathan (20) also making starts.

And Selvam Ramasamy produced a stunning bowling display to finish with 7-55 as the home side were dismissed for 122 in reply.

Anujan Thiru (2-29) and Dwaraka (1-25) took the other wickets to fall and Parks are 12 points off a promotion place with four games to, with a derby at Frenford up next on Saturday.