HARPER’S PLAYING A TOP TUNE FOR TOWN
MARK HARPER says the response of his Chertsey Town players to the hectic Christmas schedule has convinced him they are up for a promotion fight.
The Curfews have negotiated the hectic festive period to climb to the top of the Isthmian South Central table, while extending their unbeaten run to 17 matches before yesterday.
It’s a run which has culminated in a 9-0 drubbing of bottom club Binfield last Saturday and an impressive New Year’s victory at Hartley Wintney 48 hours later, taking the Surrey club to the cusp of a Step 3 return after a 27year absence.
It’s often said the festive period can make or break a club’s season and Harper, no stranger to success himself as a player with Aldershot Town, Sutton United and Farnborough, reckons the heavy schedule has served in bringing his Curfews side closer together.
“It’s always a difficult period over Christmas, but the boys have been brilliant,” Harper told The NLP.
“With Christmas parties, family time and work dos going on etc, you never really know what to expect from your players the day after Christmas Day but their attitude has been fantastic. They showed me their desire to possibly go on to win something this year.
“It shows me the character of the boys. They are so determined i n what they want to achieve this year – and that’s as a collective; the management team and the club itself.
“The brief from the chairman this year was to make play-offs but we came in and said ‘we don’t want play-offs, we want to win it’. We’ve installed that mentality throughout the year and after the two-week window over Christmas it was obvious to me that the boys have really brought into it. They’ve just got to stay consistent in what they are doing and we won’t be far away.”
Since arriving at Alwyns Lane in May, Harper has set about rebuilding the Curfews squad with only two players of the side which finished seven points short of the play-offs last season remaining at the club.
So far, so good then for the former Spelthorne Sports and Hampton & Richmond Borough boss, but he knows there’s plenty of work left to be done if the 2019 FA Vase winners are to celebrate more success.
“We’re doing alright but I don’t want to get too carried away. We’re only half way through the season and we’ve got a big month ahead for us where we play Raynes Park Vale, Marlow and Leatherhead. January is massive.
“We’ve just got the mindset to take each game as it comes and just run with it. Fair play to the lads, they are performing at a good level every week, which is good to see. Momentum is with us at the moment and long may that continue.”