WORTHING are determined to prove they are no one-season wonder – and boss Adam Hinshelwood believes they can still get better.
The Rebels are top of the Pitching In Isthmian Premier once again after being seven points clear last term when the campaign was made null and void. Get up to speed upon the season's resumption with bonuscodebets.co.uk for markets on all English football.
But that disappointment has been used as motivation in a bid to show they would have gone up as champions had the season been finished.
They've won seven and lost one of their first eight league games which has left them two points ahead during the temporary break.
“It's possibly a good time to reflect on the season,” Hinshelwood told The NLP. “We've been disappointed with how we've done in the cups, we've drawn two games and then gone out on penalties in both.
“But we're pleased with the start we've made although know there's still loads for us to analyse and improve on moving forward.
“They're a really good group that are motivated and share the ambition of myself and the club. We all want to progress up the football pyramid together and test ourselves at the highest possible level.
“Having players with that kind of attitude really does help. As soon as we could get going for training they were keen to come down and get together. If anything last season gave them a lot of belief that that's the position in the table they should have been at.”
Hinshelwood, in his second spell as manager at the club after re-joining in 2017, convinced the squad to stay together over the summer although did lose the talented Fin Stevens to Championship side Brentford and Lloyd Dawes to Hastings United.
New forwards Omar Koroma and Mo Diallo have hit the ground running with seven and five league goals respectively, but with at least four weeks off from training Hinshelwood doesn't want his squad to take a step back.
“We'll try to get in touch on our normal training days on Tuesdays and Thursdays,” he said. “This week we had two fitness sessions on Zoom and we want to keep that going. We want to see the season out. Hopefully with the vaccine there is a glimmer of hope and a bit of light that we can come through it.
“I think we'll get straight back into the season when it's possible, I can't see there being a four-week break and then two weeks to train again before the first game. I think it'll be a Tuesday and Thursday session and then back into it on the Saturday.”
It's another test of Hinshelwood's management which has been flawless since his return to the club.
The 36-year-old had a promising playing career with Brighton & Hove Albion hindered and eventually curtailed by injury before he moved into coaching in 2011.
Spells at Hastings United, Selsey and Brighton have followed but he feels at home with Worthing and wants to move progress with them.
“I came in when the team had one point after 11 games,” he said. “I brought in some local players and it's worked well for us. Progression each season is all I've been aiming for and this year we'll be aiming for a better points tally than what we had at the stage when it finished last season.
“We've set up a U14s, 15s, 16s. We've got an education programme too. We've set up a youth structure at the club which I'm really proud of and we've had players come through to play regularly in our first team. It's something I strongly believe in.
“I really want to improve, there's still loads and loads for me to learn but with the experiencing I'm gaining at Worthing I definitely believe it's helping me massively. It's a big club, lots of ambition and I'm very much the same, want to manage at the highest possible level I can. I feel I'm getting a good grounding.”
DAVID RICHARDSON
