Here is why Horsham manager Di Paola has moved to calm play-off push talk

Horsham FC. Dominic di Paola. Pic Steve Robards SR1720461 SUS-170829-111246001

The inform Hornets may have reached the brink of the Bostik League South East top five on Tuesday night with a 2-0 win over Greenwich Borough, but they will not be getting ahead of themselves.

One game at a time and business as usual is the message from the dressing room, despite making it five wins and a draw from their last six league outings.

That return - in between a successful FA Trophy run which was finally ended in a narrow 2-1 defeat to National League South side Bath on Sunday - has seen the Hornets rise to sixth in the division, level on points and goal difference with Whyteleafe, who occupy the final play-off spot.

Horsham have up to two games in hand on teams around them as well, but Di Paola admitted, ahead of a tough run of games, maybe they can address talk of a play-off challenge at Christmas.

He said: “Genuinely, I am really not looking past the next game, it’s a bit of a corny one, but it is true. I really do not think it is even worth looking at it at the moment.

“We need to keep doing what we are doing, that seems to be working for us at the moment, so we need to keep doing that.

“It’s one game at a time and worry about that. If you get ahead of yourself, you can set yourself up for a fall.

“Yes, we have had a good spell, but a lot of teams have had good spells. There are four or five months left so we need to see if we can maintain it - we have not even played that many in the league yet.”

It’s league action again on Saturday as Whitstable visit Culver Road ahead of their sixth home clash in a row on Tuesday night with the visit of Eastbourne Borough in the Sussex Senior Cup.

Di Paola added: “We have got some really tough games coming up in the next four or five. Some really tough challenges for us.

“We have Whitstable Saturday and they are a big side and hard working. Then league wise, there is Cray and Hythe - massive games.

“There is a good vibe and we are enjoying it at the moment, but I keep saying it, it’s one game at a time.”