Toolstation NCEL Division One
Luke Forgione says the rise of his young guns is a great story for Worsbrough Bridge and Barnsley College.
Worsbrough’s side is mainly built around players who have been part of the Barnsley College football academy in recent years.
Star players Spencer Sheppard, Maxim Hague, Elliott Wilson, Dempsey Smith and Harley Holt are just of five of them.
“It is one of the biggest success stories of the season,” Forgione told Non League Yorkshire.
“We have 11 or 12 lads who have been part of the college programme in the last three-to-four years.
“It is brilliant for Barnsley College as well as it shows the pathway does work it is great to see players feeding into this level of football.
“The College has always been a feeder (to Non League) but it has never really shouted about it.
“Even (Luke) Danville who is 29 and Rikki (Paylor) at Handsworth, they were at Barnsley College.
“Then as well Paul (Jackson’s Worsbrough) under 21s are doing really well and we brought two lads (Ethan Kenny and Alfie Stokes) off the bench (at Harrogate Railway) from his team.
“it is good experience for them and it is what this club is about.
“This club is about giving players an opportunity and platform to go on and have a good Non League career.
“We don’t have a lot of money so that’s what we are about.
“We have to give young lads an opportunity to do well.”
His young starlets have been incredible for him so far this season having mounted an unlikely play-offs charge.
Results have dipped in recent weeks, leaving their top five hopes dangling by a thread but Forgione says his men cannot let the season drift away.
“I think you have got to set objectives,” he said.
“Don’t get me wrong we want to be in and around the play-offs and who wouldn’t want to be.
“At the moment we’re not playing like a play-offs team.
“We’re not a top seven team at the moment.
“We had a great start to the season and you have to set the bar high for the lads and set standards.
“As a manager it is your responsibility to motivate those players to get the best out of them and set aspirations for them to have a successful season.
“Yes, we’re in a great position and we have 37 points.
“You want to keep getting points and our next target is to get 40 points.
“When we get to 40, let’s get to 50.
“When we came in the club was on less than a point-per-game on average.
“We’re on about one-and-half now.
“The frustrating is we either win or we lose and when we lose we lose heavily.
“We need to try and cut it out.”
Worsbrough are due to host Swallownest this afternoon.