St MARTINS manager Dan Stevens has spoken of how pleased he is with the way his side has taken to a higher level of football.

The Saints moved up to the North West Counties Football League Division One South at the beginning of the season, putting the club at the highest level in its history.

Stevens believes the side has performed very well after the step-up.

The Saints have picked up eight wins from 13 league games so far this season, picking up 25 points from a possible 39.

They took top spot last week, but have since fallen to third place having not had a fixture last weekend.

Despite being around the top end of the league table, Stevens is maintaining his target of 40 points that he set before the season which he hopes will be enough to keep his team’s place in the league.

He said: “We had a difficult start to the season but even with a depleted squad in August we have been competitive in every match so far.

“The amount of injuries we picked up over pre-season made things difficult and this was accentuated further by us possessing a very small squad.

“Recently, we have managed to get everyone back, add in a couple of quality additions and after the international clearance farce, we now have everyone available.

“Both on and off the pitch I think the club has handled promotion to this, their highest ever level of football, admirably.

“With a new ground on the horizon, a core of the club’s best players to ever represent this club in my opinion, along with a steady start to the season, the future looks very bright.

“Our target is still to pick up five more league wins to ensure we steer clear of the bottom two.”

St Martins are among the few clubs in their division that don’t pay their players – something that Stevens imagined would make their season more difficult than it has been so far.

He said: “We are at a disadvantage being one of the only clubs in this league that doesn’t pay its players.

“With that being said, we have a young spirited group with talent that will only get better in time.

“There have been some highs and lows already and that’s part of the club’s overall development at this level.

“I think overall, we can be pleased with our points return, especially considering nine of our 13 matches have been played away from home.”

The manager hopes that in the coming seasons he is able to lead the Saints to a successful era of growth comparable to that of Whitchurch Alport.

He added: “They [Alport] are definitely the benchmark club in our area of north Shropshire by a mile.

“The way they have grown is incredible.

“Although we should use much of what they have implemented, it is imperative that we are our own club and maintain our own identity and make short, medium and long-term decisions that suit this club and village.”

St Martins return to action in a home fixture on Friday night when they host Cammell Laird 1907 in the first round of the Macron Cup.

Their next league fixture will also take place at Park Hall Stadium on Saturday, October 27 when they face Cheadle Heath Nomads.