CAMPION boss Lee Ashforth has admitted that promotion must be the aim for his team this season following their fine start to life in the NCEL Premier Division.
The Bradford side sealed promotion to the top division after a stellar Division One campaign last time out, and they’ve started this season in the same electrifying manner as they finished the previous footballing year.
They sit at the summit of the Premier Division after 14 games and although he’s been delighted with what he’s seen so far, Ashforth has urged his side not to sit on their laurels.
He said: “Following promotion to the Premier Division, we always knew that the competition would be extremely tough and it has proved that so far. So, to be at the top of the table at this stage of this season is something that we couldn’t have dreamed of. It has been the perfect start and I’d be lying if I said anything different.”
He added: “In the back of our minds, we always wanted to make it back-to-back promotions ahead of this season. Some promoted teams just want to make sure they survive in a higher division, but that has never been our aim.
“We thought that it would take us a bit of time to acclimatise to the Premier Division but fortunately it’s worked out quicker than we expected. We’ve seen that we can compete with the top teams in this division, so anything less than promotion and we wouldn’t be doing ourselves justice.”
Campion fell to what Ashforth described a “freak” 5-0 defeat at Emley on October 7, however, he got the perfect bounce back from his side as they cruised to comfortable victories against Maltby Main and Penistone Church respectively in their following two fixtures; something that extremely pleased the Campion boss.
He said: “The team were very despondent after the Emley game and they were hurt, so we didn’t feel the need to go and shout at them; it wasn’t that kind of game and the result flattered Emley a bit. It was one of those freakish results that can happen in football.
“What impressed me the most was the players’ reaction to that defeat. They didn’t let it get their heads down, and instead they used it as motivation to win their next two games. It was important that we got a reaction and collected the six points in the games against Maltby and Penistone, and they did exactly that.
“I think it stands us in good stead for the rest of the season because we’ve shown that we can quickly bounce back from defeat, and that will be key particularly in the final stages of the season.”
Campion forward Marcus Day currently leads the NCEL Premier Division goal-scoring charts having already notched 18 goals in just 14 appearances.
Speaking about his talisman ahead of this weekend’s trip to Handsworth, Ashforth said: “Marcus has been brilliant for us ever since he joined from Harrogate Railway a couple of years ago. He’s a great lad to have around because he’s always looking for ways to improve, and fortunately for us, he never has issues with his fitness.
“We have been approached by multiple clubs on several occasions, but he just doesn’t want to go anywhere; he’s loving being a part of a winning team and you can see that when he takes to the pitch. His goals are big for us, there’s no denying that, and I’m not surprised that he’s taken to the Premier Division so lightly. He’s got that type of quality, and he also believes in himself.”
Campion travel to South Yorkshire today to take on Handsworth at 3pm, and they’ll be hoping Day can get on the scoresheet once again.
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