Darren Hepworth has pledged to blood some of the club’s under 19s and Development Squad players in the first team before the end of the season
Darren Hepworth has pledged his faith in AFC Emley’s young guns as he bids to ensure a high Toolstation NCEL Division One finish, writes James Grayson.
Emley look set to miss out on their pre-season target of promotion and lie in eighth – 14 points from second-placed Shaw Lane Aquaforce.
Hepworth has pinpointed the reasons why Emley has fallen short of the top two and whilst he is already focussing on the future, the Welfare Ground boss wants a strong end to the season.
“You never say never until it (promotion) is mathematically impossible, but our aim this season is to get as high as we can up the league,” he said.
“We’re certainly looking to promote the younger lads through the system to give them as much experience as we can this season.
“We see where we go at the end of this year and then have a go at promotion next season.
“Consistency is why we haven’t quite made the top two. We talked about that after the Shaw Lane game.
“There is unquestionable ability in the dressing room and we have the desire in there. But for that lack of consistency, we have paid the price.
“We drew with Yorkshire Amateur in the last home game before Shaw Lane and that was a poor performance and a shadow of recent performances.
“Until we fix that and become consistent game-in game-out, we’ll struggle to get out of this Division. However, there is enough ability to do it.”
Emley ended a run of four games without a win when they beat promotion-chasing Shaw Lane 3-2 last Saturday.
Emley were trailing 2-0 until young striker Sylbert Stewart scored twice and then Doran Jordan hit the winner.
Stewart is a product of the club’s thriving under 19s and Development Squad and Hepworth takes a lot of delight from the successes of the two teams.
“I was particularly pleased for the young lads coming through last Saturday because there were five lads from the under 19s and the Development squad in the squad,” he said.
“The infrastructure of lads coming through our under 19s into the Development Squad and then going into the First Team is really starting to kick in.
“We’re putting an infrastructure in place that sets the club up for success over many years. We don’t just have a short-term plan.
“We have a plan that is sustainable and I think that’s important.”
Emley now look forward to a trip to Selby Town on Saturday – the team who beat them 1-0 back in September.
Ian Dring was the manager at Selby then and he’s been replaced by Jimmy Reid since. For Hepworth, the task is about building the fantastic Shaw Lane victory.
“It will be a really tough test and for me, it’s about me and the coaching staff making sure it is not a case of ‘After the Lord Mayor’s show’,” he added.
“We have to go to Selby and try and get three points and see where it takes us.
“Selby have had change there and that’s not uncommon at this level.”