This is just the beginning, says Holleran

Leamington face a hectic schedule of nine games in just over a month, starting with a trip to Hitchin tomorrow.

Buoyed by 11 wins and three draws from their opening 14 games, Brakes lie just four points adrift of leaders Hemel Hempstead having played four games fewer.

But speaking ahead of the Boxing Day trip to Banbury, Holleran said that the hard work was only just beginning.

“It goes without saying that we’d have loved to play more games. But 39 points from 17 games is a fantastic start,” said Holleran.

“We’ll take the start but we 
know there’s plenty of hard work ahead.

“We’ve achieved nothing yet.”

Having seen his side top the Southern Premier last Christmas before eventually missing out on the play-offs, Holleran is aware how quickly the complexion of the league can change.

However, he believes Leamington have got a far stronger platform this term to mount a title challenge and says the picture should become even clearer as the season enters February.

“Compared to previous seasons, we’re not chasing.

“Even last year when we were top we’d played more games.

“This season, if we have a blip we’ll still be in there.

“Now we’ve got to drive it home and the next six weeks are going to be massive.

“We’ve got an amount of games against sides with similar ambitions to our own and it’s going to be a big ask for the players.

“But other clubs are in the same position.”

Brakes head into the new year with an almost fully-fit squad, with only Ricky Johnson be unavailable for tomorrow’s visit to struggling Hitchin.

The loss of Johnson with ankle ligament damage has coincided with a blip in Leamington’s form which has seen them lose three of their last four league games.

Holleran admitted the striker’s absence has been a major blow, but ruled out dipping into the transfer market to replace him.

However, he said his side’s impressive start to the campaign had given him some leeway regarding funds should he decide to bolster his squad.

“It’s one of those scenarios that we need to keep the run going.

“The people that run Leamington are keen to get out of the league.

“You have to be careful. We’ve got a group of players and a system that is working well and we’ve got to try not to disrupt that.

“But the board have made it clear that if the right player came along they would support me.”

Brakes follow their trip to Hertfordshire with a home clash with Bedworth United on New Year’s Day (3pm).