Foxes boss knows preparation is everything ahead of visit to Old Spotted Dog

Ilford manager Allan Fenn says his team must be up for their clash at London Bari on Saturday as soon as they arrive at the Old Spotted Dog.

The Foxes make the short trip this weekend looking for a first win in three games, with a spate of injuries hitting the team hard in recent weeks.

And Fenn knows it will not be easy this weekend as they make another trip to the famous ground, which could be politely described as being ‘old school’.

He said: “The Old Spotted Dog is always a difficult place to go, whether you’re playing Bari or Clapton, because of the facilities.

“As soon as you arrive there, you know you need the right mindset if you are going to return with a win.”

Bari have enjoyed a good season by their standards and currently occupy a mid-table spot, although they do still have 19 games remaining.

And Fenn admits he is one of those in the league who has been impressed by Chris Davis and his team this season.

“Bari are where they are on merit, but they are also a bit of an enigmatic side because they have some good players,” he added.

“They’ve also picked up a few good results against teams near the top this season, so it will be a difficult game for us, but hopefully we can get our third win against them.”

Bari were due to make the trip to Greenhouse Sports last night (Wednesday) in a match that was moved to Ilford’s home ground, Cricklefield Stadium, but it was called off, robbin Fenn of the chance to scout his next opponents.

And the Ilford boss would have been hoping to take full advantage of the opportunity having also been at the venue on the same night attending to club matters.

“I was at the stadium having a meeting with both my chairman and the head of youth development,” he said.

“But once that was over, I would have been straight into the stands to watch the full 90 minutes and see more of Bari.”