New manager Penlington aims to keep up Roffey's fine run

The former Crawley Down Gatwick manager took charge of his first game on Saturday in which they continued their unbeaten run in Division 2.

Harri Nourse scored a brace as they beat Rottingdean 5-0, still buoyed by the announcement on Friday they had been granted planning permission for floodlights at their Bartholomew Way home.

Despite finishing second last season, Roffey were denied promotion on their facilities, but Penlington says that has just made the club hungrier.

He said: “There is a link-up with Roffey Robins, two good under-18 teams and three adult teams, so it is really a community club.

“Now there is the added excitement of the floodlights on the horizon. So it’s our job now to push up the league and try to get promotion to the higher division.

“When they finished second last year and did not achieve promotion and other teams lower down the league did, it was a real kick in the teeth, but it has not put the committee off - it has made them more determined.”

Despite having the rare privilege of coming into a side doing well after Danny Redman stepped down, Penlington feels that does bring its own pressures.

He added: “Kev Dunster and Graham Powell (management team) are staying on so that means we are going to be keeping the continuity.

“I will bring different things to the table, but at the end of the day we have had a good chat and all of the players seem to be on board.

“It is a bit of catch 22, you are coming into a team doing well and that’s great. But there is the added pressure of being undefeated and keeping that up, but all the lads did just that on Saturday.”

Against Rottingdean, Ben Chowney fired Roffey ahead after just three minutes and Phil Awcock doubled the lead inside 20 minutes.

Luke McGregor got in on the act in the second half, before Nourse added a brace.

Penlington added: “There were a few outstanding performances. In fairness, Rottingdean arrived probably not as strong as normal, but you can only beat who is on front of you and I was really pleased my lads kept concentrating.”

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