James White: Concord Rangers want to win for injured Harry Elmes (From Echo)

James White: Concord Rangers want to win for injured Harry Elmes

5:21pm Thursday 21st March 2013 in Sport By James Colasanti

CONCORD midfielder James White admits they would love to win for injured team-mate Harry Elmes against visitors Thurrock tonight.

This fixture was abandoned at 0-0 after 52 minutes after Elmes’ leg was broken following a foul by Thurrock’s Ben Walster last month.

Walster has since been released by Fleet, but White admits what happened will inevitably “add a bit of spice” to tonight’s replay against his former side.

“I think what happened to Harry will be on people’s minds,” he said.

“We won’t use it in a negative way and we won’t be looking for revenge, but we will want to win for Harry. I think it’s fair to say it will add a bit of spice to this game.”

Former Dartford man White joined Thurrock in 2011 and joined Concord at the start of this season after Mark Stimson took over as manager of relegated Fleet.

White said: “I spoke with Stimmo and he said he wanted me to play at centre half, which was not where I wanted to play, so I decided it was the right time to leave.

“But I also wanted to come to Concord because it is closer to where I live. It was also because I had friends there and knew Dan Cowley from before. He’s so professional in his approach and is one of the best managers I have worked under.”

Concord start the night third in the Ryman Premier and eyeing up the title, while Thurrock are third from bottom and looking over their shoulders.

“I am a little bit surprised at where they are,” said White. “Stimmo came there with a big reputation but it’s not all down to him because those players still have to perform.

“But I think there are only three players there from when I was there, and a high turnover of players is always a problem they have had.”

Tonight’s match comes hot on the heels on Concord’s thrilling 3-2 win over Bury Town on Tuesday, which moved them 10 points behind leaders Whitehawk, and with four games in hand.

When asked if he felt they could win the title, White said: “We’re not there to make up the numbers and we will be pushing as hard for the title as any other team. But first of all we want to make the play-offs, and to do that we just need to keep our feet on the ground and keep taking each game as it comes.”