Ely City manager Guy Habbin plays down pressure on players after impressive Thurlow Nunn League Premier Division campaign

Manager Guy Habbin has insisted that there is ‘no pressure’ on his Ely City side to continue exceeding expectations in the Thurlow Nunn League Premier Division this season.

The Robins have been a bottom-half side in recent campaigns – and last term they mustered just 29 points from 36 fixtures on their way to a 16th-placed finish.

However, Saturday’s 2-1 win in treacherous conditions at the Demcom Stadium over league-leading Thetford Town has left Habbin’s men sitting third, just one point adrift of the summit having played a couple of games more.

The play-offs now look a more than realistic target, but Habbin is very much taking the situation game by game.

He said: “Our end to last season was pivotal to this season. We hit a purple patch in the last six games, got on a good run and it helped us to stay in the league.

“It also showed the potential we had and it enabled us to both keep the key players we had and also recruit well.

“It’s like anything in sport – momentum is key. We lost the first game of this season but beat a good Downham side after that and the belief has grown from there.

“We don’t look too far ahead and I barely ever look at the league table. If you set yourself big targets than you’re setting yourself up for a fall.

“All we’ve been doing is focusing on our own performances and the areas where we can improve.

“The most important thing for us was making sure we stay in the division – after that there was no pressure to deliver.

“Other teams in and around us might have greater expectations and would have expected to be where they are, but we don’t have that.

“We’re enjoying what we’re doing, we’ve got no worries and who knows where it will take us.”

Ely will aim to post a fourth straight victory in all competitions on Saturday when they host Dereham Town (3pm) before entertaining higher-league Newmarket Town in the semi-finals of the Cambridgeshire Invitation Cup on Tuesday (7.45pm).

Ely’s form at the Demcom Stadium has been positive this term with just two defeats suffered from their 14 league outings on their own patch.

And Habbin has credited the home support for playing a key role in those results.

“There’s a lot of work that’s been done behind the scenes and now we have lots of boys and girls coming down from Ely Crusaders to support the team,” he added.

“They come down with their parents and they really get behind us, which is great to see.

“The first-team players have also been down to some of the youth team training sessions and that connection is really building.

“There’s a real spirit at home games now and I think that’s helped us to pick up some of the good results we’ve been getting.”