Toolstation NCEL Premier Division
Green shoots of recovery are appearing at Hemsworth Miners Welfare but Shane Kelsey has warned that there is a “long way to go”.
The relegation-threatened Wells – who host Handsworth this afternoon – hammered nearest rivals Albion Sports 7-2 last Saturday to move within three points of escaping the drop zone.
Kelsey remains grounded and insists the win was a simply a step in the right direction.
“You can say (we have turned the corner) but ultimately there’s still a long way to go,” Kelsey told Non League Yorkshire.
“If the season was to finish tomorrow, we’re in a relegation place.
“I would only say turning the corner when we’ve done our job and mathematically safe.
“Certainly performance-wise, yes in terms of turning the corner.
“We’re certainly on the right tracks.
“It was important not to lose that on Saturday.
“Basically a draw wouldn’t have been good enough.
“From the minute go the players showed how much it meant to them and what they are capable of doing.”
One remarkable aspect of the turnaround under Kelsey is that the squad is basically the same one that received a few heavy beatings in the early matches under the Wells boss.
Kelsey kept faith in them and it seems to being repaid.
“I said when I first took over that the quality is there,” he said.
“It was about making them believe and instilling some confidence.
“We have asked the players to focus more on their own strengths rather than the strengths of the opponents.
“The squad has been getting fitter and we’re starting to get players back from injury which is increasing competition for places.
“That’s getting more out of the players.
“Slowly but surely we have been building and as surprising as the (Albion Sports) result may seem to a lot on the outside, to me and the staff we knew we were capable of it.
“Don’t get me wrong, 7-2 at any level against your closest rival is fantastic but I knew the performance was coming.”
The visit of Handsworth to Fitzwilliam will be a marker of the progress made under Kelsey.
The Wells lost 5-3 at Handsworth in late September but they are a different proposition now.
Adam Wilson (broken arm) and Seon Ripley (hamstring) remain sidelined but midfielder Sam Tingle returns after recovering from an ankle knock.
“It is a challenge but I can’t say we’re going into a home game as underdogs regardless of where we are in the league,” he said.
“Yes we are the underdogs on paper but that’s not the mentality we are instilling into these players.
“We hurt them in the first fixture and hopefully we are a bit fitter and bit more confidence and I’m hoping if we approach in the right way you’ll see a much different overall performance.”