BROMSGROVE Sporting boss Paul Smith has warned his team and the fans not to get carried away with the club’s impressive start to the season – saying the club have not achieved anything yet.
The Rouslers are catching the non-league eye so far this season with expectations increasing week by week that this could be the club’s year of securing promotion to the Midland Football League Premier Division.
As well as being unbeaten in the league after 14 games, Sporting have also enjoyed cup success this week reaching the Worcestershire Senior Urn final and progressing to the last 32 of the FA Vase for the first time in their history.
But speaking to the Standard, Smith said the club still have a lot to prove if they are going to fulfil the raised expectations from everyone associated with the club.
“Keeping our feet on the ground is what is concerning me at the moment,” he said.
“There’s bound to be excitement from the players, management, the board and fans but we’ve won nothing yet.
“We’ve got to a final, we’re in the last 32 of the FA Vase and unbeaten in the league but nothing is given out until May. And it is very important we keep working hard and stick together.
“And if we do then we might get some reward out of it at the end of the season but there is a long way to go and our focus now is on Saturday.”
Sporting go into Saturday’s league match away at Bolehall Swifts (3pm kick-off) off the back of a 1-0 win against Malvern Town on Tuesday night – a win that sealed their place in the Worcestershire Senior Urn final where they will play Highgate United at a date and venue to be confirmed.
Robbie Bunn’s goal on the 82nd minute won the match for the hosts though Smith admitted his team were not at their best.
The match saw Smith give a first start to new signing Luke Shorthouse who last weekend made an immediate impact as a substitute in Sporting’s FA Vase win at Nuneaton Griff.
After the match, Smith said: “We made eight changes from Saturday’s game (vs Nuneaton Griff) and how good is it to make eight changes and win a semi-final.
“But credit to Malvern they were the better side and we rode our luck at times but Robbie’s popped up with a winner for us.
“Robbie has been immense for us lately, his engine is top draw.”
Bolehall Swifts, based in Tamworth, are currently in seventh place in Midland Football League Divison One with 28 points from 17 games.
