Toolstation NCEL Premier Division
Penistone Church manager Steve Lenthall has pledged his long-term commitment to the job.
Lenthall cited work commitments as the reason why he wasn’t looking beyond the end of the season.
However, the former Church Reserves boss has grown to love the role and he plans to be in the dugout next season.
“I came in to help the club out to see it out to the end of the season so there wasn’t any panic within the club,” Lenthall told Non League Yorkshire.
“We have now got a settled squad and settled management team and Jubby (assistant manager John Whitehead) has come in and he wants to be doing it long-term so of course I want to take the club a lot higher than we are.
“Hopefully we’ll go again next season and as long as the club want me I’ll commit myself (for the long-term).
“(The) work (commitments are) still there but I enjoy (managing Penistone) and it is a privilege to manage the lads and the club.”
With the way Penistone have been playing since October, Lenthall is running out of new targets.
The initial one of get clear of the relegation zone was hit very quickly.
Top ten was the next one and now the top five goal is slowly becoming a top three target.
Lenthall is not getting carried away though and he says reaching the top three will be tough.
“We have sat down as a squad and club and we said we wanted a decent cup run,” he said.
“I thought we did really well (at Garforth on Tuesday night in the League Cup) and played well and it shows just how far we have come since we played them in November when they beat us 4-1 at our place.
“League-wise I think we have got to aim for a top five finish, especially now.
“I know we said we were thinking top ten but the run we have been on and the way the lads have approached each game I think we have to speak now of a top five or six finish.
“I think it is very achievable.
“I’m not going to say we can finish top three.
“Obviously we want to win every game from now until the end of the season.
“Hopefully teams in and around us will drop points and we’ll keep gaining them.
“You never say never.
“I’ve never said we won’t but looking at the top three we’re going to have gain a lot of points on the top three.”
Penistone are fifth, six points from third-placed Garforth Town with a game-in-hand and Lenthall says his players deserve huge credit.
“It is a massive achievement (to be where we are from where we were) but I say it week-in-week-out it is not about me and Jubby, it is about the lads and how they approach each game and training session,” he said.
“We have put sessions on around how we want to play on a Saturday and they have took to it.
“They are working effortlessly to keep performances high.”
Penistone host Bottesford Town this weekend.