Austin calls on squad to 'remain humble' as Bees prepare for Enfield FA Trophy showdown
Mitch Austin is telling his Harborough Town players they have to 'remain humble' as they continue to enjoy a superb start to the season.
Town will be aiming to reach the third round of the FA Trophy on Saturday when they host National League South side Enfield Town at the Bee Hive (ko 3pm).
They will go into that game sitting pretty at the top of the Pitching-In Southern League Premier Central, returning to the top thanks to last Saturday's 1-0 home win over Alvechurch.
They then followed that up with a 2-2 home draw with struggling AFC Sudbury on Tuesday night, and although that was a disappointment, it does mean the Bees have gone two points clear at the top of the tree with a game in hand.
Austin accepts he and his team are 'in a good place', but knows there is a long, long way to go.
"We have to remain humble because nothing is won at this stage of the season," Austin told @HarbTownFC.
"Obviously we are in a position now that we are there to be shot at, and I suppose the league is developing a little bit.
"It's just about getting better where we can, raising our game, and being on the boil, and I didn't think we were that on Saturday. I didn't think we had the edge, but we had to battle it out and fight, and win our duels.”
It has been a busy week, and the Bees now have four more games to play in the space of the next 11 days and Austin added: “For the boys that aren't getting the minutes they want at the moment, they will be playing a big part in November.
"We have to just remain focused and not get too much ahead of ourselves, not think too much about it, just come and do an honest day's graft.
"Treat it like a job, because it is, they get paid and it's a job, as much as it's our hobby as well, we are here to represent the football club and be successful.
"We said that potentially through November that we might find a blip, and somebody might beat us, but that's football.
"We know that's coming, we're not an invincible team, but we have just been working hard and we are honest. That is what has got us to this stage.
"We are in a good place. At the moment we are doing it, and we've got to remain doing it."
Attention now turns to Saturday’s Trophy date with National League South strugglers Enfield Town, who are without a win in six and haven’t won a game on the road since early September.
It is a chance for the Step 3 Bees to claim a Step 2 scalp and progress in the competition, and assistant boss Dave Staff is keen for the players to put the frustration of dropping two points on Tuesday behind them.
"We have had some good nights down here and had some late wins, and maybe there was something coming that was a little bit of a warning shot and maybe that was Tuesday night,” Staff told @HarbTownFC.
"We won't overthink it, we will reflect, we will analyse where there are things we can improve on, and that's always the case.
"We will take our medicine and move on, and Saturday is another good game for the club and the group, and we kick on."