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Dave's Diary

- 01/03/2010

Despite Saturday's victory over Tonbridge Invicta, we have to be realistic and accept that winning the league is not an option. I simply cannot see Stansfeld or Hollands & Blair dropping many league points on the run in. Even if they did falter, Phoenix Sports are the most likely challengers so long as they can win their games in hand.

My aim is to now go on a long unbeaten run for our last dozen games and to finish in the top four. It is important to set an objective and this would be some achievement in our first season at this level. Is it a realistic target I hear you say? Well, to date we have had a very mixed bag of results and been inconsistent. We are six points down on where I wanted to be at this stage of the season because we have not been able to sustain any real form from week to week.

There are reasons I could give to justify the shortfall but I am not one for making excuses. The truth is we have lost at least four games in which we should have picked up points. My aim, therefore, for the remaining twelve games is to try and make up for those results and recover the points by having a better second half of the season.

There is no doubt that we have learnt a lot in the first half of the season and are now better equipped to cope at this level. We have a good squad, excellent team spirit and, most importantly, a group of players who are passionate about playing for the club and take great pride in pulling on the City jersey.

We now have a winning mentality within the players, which was missing earlier in the season. This is key because realistically we need to win at least nine of our remaining twelve games to have any hope of securing a place in the top four. That's a big ask because there are no easy games at this level, as we already know. The bottom club is capable of beating the top club on their day, so you have to perform to the optimum level in every game. The chances of playing badly and sneaking a win are very slim.

Given that we have set an ambitious target for the second half of the season, I would like to stress how important is the support of the fans. Please keep coming home and away. You are our twelfth man, and it does make a difference.

Yours in Sport

Dave