Romaine Graham wants his Newark & Sherwood United squad to lay a marker for next season – after already exceeding his expectations for this campaign.
Jamie Williamson netted in the third minute of added time to secure United a point against promotion-chasers Sleaford Town at the weekend.
That draw stretched the club’s unbeaten run to six United Counties League Premier Division North matches.
With 16 points picked up from a potential 18, Newark & Sherwood have now surpassed the targets set by their manager since he took over in February.
But that doesn’t mean anyone will be resting on their laurels.
“I did set a target and we’ve exceeded what I wanted to achieve this season,” said Graham, whose team have battled their way out of trouble to 12th in the table.
“So I think now it is just about seeing how many points we can get on the board.”
“We’ve shown we can compete with these teams, and now we’re looking up as opposed to behind us.
“We’re looking to see who we can catch and confidence is really high in the dressing room. Let’s see what we can do.”
While still focused on ending this season on a high, Graham believes an impressive conclusion to the campaign will aid the bigger picture.
“We’ve turned a corner, so if we can finish well it bodes well for next season and we can really have a go,” he said.
“People will see what we’re doing and perhaps that can attract more bodies into the club as well.
“April will be a good test as we’ve got (second-place) Lincoln United and (leaders) Sherwood. so it’ll be good to see how far we’ve actually come.
“We want to show we can compete with the best teams so it’ll be more finding out about where we’re at rather than the impact that will have on the title race. But it’s always good to ruin someone’s day.”
Following last night’s (Wednesday) clash at Ashby Ivanhoe, United begin run of three home games with the arrival of 14th-place Wisbech Town on Saturday (KO 3pm).
“When I came in I highlighted home games as the ones most important,” Graham added.
“I didn’t imagine we’d do as well as we are doing, but turning your ground into a fortress is a good foundation for any team.
“Every game we have played, all I can say is my lads have given me their all and that’s all I can ask for.”
While United are currently enjoying home comforts, the club is currently looking for a new ground after Collingham FC announced they wouldn’t be renewing the groundshare agreement next term.
“I’ve mentioned it to the lads and said all we can do is win football matches,” Graham said.
“We trust the board to do the right thing for Newark. They’ve got a lot of nice options, but we’re just focusing on the football.”
Reflecting on the weekend’s result - where Williamson’s late leveller lcancelled out the Greens’ opener from Akeel Francis – Graham was left with mixed emotions.
“To be honest, we were delighted by the way we earned the point with a last-minute equaliser,” he said.
“It’s always a good way to get a point, but we did think we were by far the more dominant side.
It’s another string to our bow. Previously we might have cruised to a defeat but the lads kept pushing until the end and we’re definitely going in the right direction.
“I said to the lads, we can’t win every game, but we can still show we’re a force to be reckoned with.”
