Brendon Ormsby has enjoyed a positive week in preparation for the team’s return to league action against Grimsby Borough tomorrow, but warns his players against complacency as they seek to maintain their blistering start to the season.

In his notes for tomorrow’s match programme, Ormsby writes: ”After the disappointment of being knocked out of the League Cup by Handsworth, I was delighted with the team’s performance in the FA Cup last weekend, and thrilled to progress to the next round of the competition. The tie against Tadcaster Albion next Saturday should be a good one.

Meanwhile, today we get back to the bread and butter of league action, and this is the heart of what we are really about. With several teams making strong starts, it is essential that we keep winning, and treat each game as a crucial one. I hope that there is no complacency in our squad: they need to make sure they do not get carried away, and fight for the right to win games. For certain, things will get harder and harder for us, as teams will be raising their games when they play us, viewing us as a top side and a good scalp to take. Our lads will need to make sure that they are on their toes from the start, and ready for every challenge.

The players have set high standards for themselves in the season so far. We will not allow these to drop – in fact, we will need to raise them. There is a long season ahead, with a lot of points to play for, and – if you’ll forgive me the cliché – we need to take every game as it comes. We should celebrate every victory, and lament every defeat (have I mentioned how much I hate losing?), and then move on and prepare ourselves for the next game. We can learn from wins and losses, and make sure we get better and better, by working harder and harder. From the players point of view, that is the key – hard work.

I was also delighted by an excellent performance by the Reserves on Tuesday night. The team took on Parkgate (who play in the league above us in the Baris NCEL Premier Division) and beat them. It was no fluke, we were the better team. Everybody in the team played well, with six or seven of John’s Academy lads pushing their cases. Leon Guest was superb, playing a great ball to Dunc for the winning goal.

The game also gave several first team regulars a chance to improve their match fitness, with Pozzy and Dunc looking really sharp after their injury problems, and Broads and Haighy getting valuable match fitness after their holidays. Lee Stretton and Mick Walpole also did really well, having spent much of the season to date on the bench. Chances will come for all the lads, and they need to be ready to take them. The attitude of all the lads has been fantastic, with several of them demanding to play for the Reserves to get fit and prove to me that they are worth a place in the starting eleven. This is exactly what we need – hungry players, not running away from challenges but facing up to them, prepared to take the responsibility to get themselves fit and raring to go, working hard to fight for their place in a winning team. I will pick players to win each game on merit, and they are starting to understand that there are no favourite

s and they need to fight for their places. This is how to build a winning team. Tuesday was a credit to them all.

It was also good to have a look at Rob Poulter, who I know is highly rated and well respected at the club from his previous stint, and Steve Lyons, who Dunc has encouraged me to sign, and looks a very dangerous player.

Tuesday was also a real team effort from the management team: John Redford ran the team, Dunc did the warm up before putting on his boots to get himself sharp, while Nicky stayed back at base to run a good training session for those lads not involved in the Reserves. I could just sit in the stand and watch – which is exactly what I need to be doing at Reserves games, of course. A big thanks to all the lads.

All in all, it’s been a good week in preparation for today’s game. If we keep up the hard work until five o clock, let’s hope it can lead to three points.”