Horsham YMCA boss Buckland: 'I'm not going to make the same mistake as last season'

YM currently sit in second in the table, four points off table-topping Chichester City with a game in hand.

Last season saw Horsham YMCA’s promotion push fade away as Buckland’s injury ravaged squad finished fourth and 11 points shy of Three Bridges in second.

Buckland said: “I’m not going to make the same mistake as last season and watch it wither away in front of my eyes due to a lack of players.

“I am now looking to kick on. I think the business starts when the weather turns. It’s all very well these teams, ourselves included, having players coming out their ears in September, with a lovely drive out in the countryside, the sun shining; Tuesday night’s in November, December in the cold and rain is a different kettle of fish.

“Now we really need to maintain what we’re doing until Christmas and then address the situation of what we may or may not need to do in regards to recruitment for the end of the season.

“If someone said to me, 12 games in you’ll be sitting second and a couple of points off second with a game in hand, I’d say any time.”

YM fell to a 1-0 away defeat against fellow promotion chasers Pagham on Saturday and Horsham YMCA have yet to pick up a win against three of this season’s top five.

Despite these results, Buckland feels his side have been unlucky and felt there was no need to panic.

He added: “Somebody came up to me and said in the three big games we’ve played, Saltdean, Chichester, Pagham, you’ve got nothing out of them.

“The Saltdean game was abandoned when we were battering them 3-1 and we had to go back down on a Tuesday night with a lot of players missing and we lost 3-2. The Chichester game we lost 2-1 in the 98th minute. A draw would have been a fair result.

“Against Pagham, and it’s not with rose-tinted glasses, at worst we should have got a draw so I’m not worried at all.”