Our target now is a top six finish

AS head coach at Chinnor, if you had offered me our current position of eighth in The Championship at the start of the season, I would have snapped your hand off. We are operating with one of the lowest playing budgets in the league, so to be where we are is a huge credit to the players.

That said, with my coaching hat on, all I have really been thinking about is the last month, because our performances have dipped. February was not a good one for us. The lads have got 11 days off now, which they badly need, and I expect them to come back refreshed and reenergised for the final block.

It is tough operating as a part-time side in this league. We had a run recently where we played some of the top teams and did pretty well, but the reality is our players are working five days a week and training twice a week. We played Doncaster on a Friday night and their players are arriving fully focused on the game, while some of our lads are finishing work at three, four, five o’clock.

The target now is top six. At the start of the year, maybe mid-table would have sounded fine, but expectations change. We have been in and around that top-six picture for a while and we want to get back in there. Once you have tasted it, you want more.