DENIS Underwood's spell in goal has given him an insight as to what has gone wrong for his side in the last two games.

The Harwood boss has put on his boots again for the last two matches with regular goalie Daryll Sloane out injured - although he should be back for tonight's NWCL Division One game at Nantwich.

But his time between the sticks has proved to be valuable as Underwood looks to end a run of three successive losses.

"From the goals I can see the things we aren't doing that we were doing early in the season," said the boss. "Being more involved in action, I can see where we are going wrong."

Underwood has conceded eight goals in his two matches - but one of these games was against high-flying St Helens.

"I have hated conceding goals since I started when I was 17. I go over it again and again about how I could have stopped the ball, how I could have stretched that little bit farther," he said.

Underwood also knows the main problem is at the other end - the lack of goals. Despite a good start to Tuesday's game against Atherton LR, there was no one to turn the pressure into goals.

"When you have a purple patch, you have got to take your chances and we aren't," said Underwood.

Graham Lightbown is the only one finding the goal regulary although Underwood is hoping Christian Trippier could be the answer to his problems.

"He is only a young lad, we picked him up from the Rochdale League. We also have Adam Tempest in the squad, another local youngster, and Damien McKay, Paul Walker and Jamie Smith are back in the frame so I might introduce one or two of them."

And Underwood is also keen to have skipper Neil Kennedy back as soon as possible. He will miss tonight's game because of suspension but Underwood was appealing yesterday against a dismissal for Kennedy for spitting. "The referee took their players' word for it so I was standing as a character witness for Neil as he would never do anything like that."