Horsham YMCA warned they must be at their best to beat resurgent Pagham

Following YM's hard-earned 1-0 win over AFC Uckfield Town last Saturday, Buckland acknowledged the daunting task awaiting them against the Lions.

Their opponents secured a comfortable win against Premier Division leaders Haywards Heath Town last weekend to cap four straight league victories.

While a 1-0 success over Bostik League South Division leaders Lewes in the Sussex Senior Cup on Tuesday night stretched their unbeaten run to ten matches in all competitions.

Buckland said: "They don’t get any easier, we’ve got Pagham, who are in a rich vein of form. They have just beaten top of the table Haywards Heath 3-0. That will be another mountain to climb, but that’s what it’s all about.

“We will have to be at our best to beat them. We cannot have an off day, and we could well come out with something. You’ve got to be confident but they are a very good and organised side.”

The YM boss is also aiming to ‘put things right’ against a Pagham side who beat them 4-0 on the opening day of the season.

He said: “They gave us a hammering in the first game of the season so we’re looking to put that right. If we play like we played Saturday and keep just as tight, I feel we won’t concede but we need to score.

“We have Phil Johnson back, so, along with Sam Schaaf, we have our strike force back together who will cause problems in the final third.”

Buckland also pointed to the good spirits at the club, whilst providing a positive injury update.

He added: "We’re in a good place at the moment, the spirits are good. We had a race night at the club to raise some funds which went down well, and the lads all had a good time. “We’ve also got Dave Brown pretty much back to full match fitness now. He’s a very key player, and I don’t want to rush him back too soon from his hamstring problems. We’re okay in terms of injuries.”