Hinckley AFC manager Courtney Belford admits inconsistency has hurt his side this season but is eyeing a strong finish in the last two months of the campaign.
AFC sit seventh going into March and the final eight weeks of the season, with games in hand on the majority of sides around them.
And with the next four games all against sides just beneath them in the table, Belford says it’s important to find a level of consistency ahead of a busy and important month for his side.
He said: “It’s partly about building towards next season but we want to finish this one as strongly as we can.
“Heather won this league last season by winning their last 17 or 18 games. We’ve got 14 to go and if we win most of them you never know, its’s unlikely but we could sneak promotion if results go our way. If you finish strongly you always give yourself a chance.
“What we don’t want is to end the season on a flat and only win four or five of the remaining games to finish 10th or 11th.”
The former Nuneaton Griff boss says keeping players’ spirits up when they go up to a month without playing isn’t easy, but insists his side are raring to go and play two games a week once they do get back out there.
“It can be hard to keep motivating people when you train every week, get to the weekend and don’t play. It’s very frustrating.
“That’s affected everyone in the league and you can see that by the fact every side has dropped points where you wouldn’t expect them to.
“We’ve always had good numbers at training even through the spell of bad weather, and it just means everyone’s looking forward to getting back out there.
“Playing twice a week can get you momentum if you start winning games and we’ll look to capitalise on that.”
With the focus on the remainder of this season, but with half an eye on next term, Belford is starting to formulate plans for his squad.
He recently became the club’s longest serving manager since Carl Abbott, and admits that stability is key as he doesn’t want to make wholesale changes to the group he already has.
However, after the defeat to Uttoxeter he said he wanted to add some experience to the spine of the team and says that hasn’t changed.
“We want to move forward with this group we’ve got now, and add one or two experienced heads in key positions and we’re working on that.
“We’ve got a lot of players who were here at the start of the season, and the ones who have come in since have bought into what we’re trying to do.”
He will do that, though, without assistant manager Ross Innes who has taken over the vacant managerial role at league rivals Atherstone Town.
Belford says it’s a great opportunity for Innes to cut his teeth in management. “As soon as he told me, I told him to take the job. It’s a great move for him.
“He’s cut his teeth with plenty of roles as a number two, with me at Griff and at Atherstone before. But he feels it’s time to have a go at being a number one and it’s a chance he can’t turn down.
“He made a big impact even though he’s only been here a short time and we’ve not played too many games. The players got on well with him and he added a different viewpoint.
“But I hope he goes on and does well in the Vase for Atherstone and I’m sure he’ll help their promotion push.”
Whatever happens for the remainder of the campaign, Belford says he’s “thoroughly enjoyed” his first season with Hinckley and is excited by what lies ahead.
“It’s not been a great time for Midlands football over the last few weeks, but it’s been a revelation to have nothing happening behind the scenes here.
“The chairman, Board, supporters and players have all been great all season and I can honestly say I’ve loved every second of the season so far.”
