Steve McKimm is relishing life back in the Isthmian Premier with his Cray Valley PM side as last year’s South East Champions have continued their impressive form and go into this weekend in third place in the table – four points inside the play-off places. 

Valley welcome last season’s beaten play-off semi-finalists Horsham to the Artic Stadium with the Sussex side coming off the back of a 1-1 midweek draw at Chichester after valiantly losing 3-1 at league Two Chesterfield in the FA Cup last weekend. 

For McKimm and his players, a come from behind 2-1 win over Cray Wanderers on Tuesday cemented their place in the table and left the manager a happy man as we spoke to him this week. McKimm told us, “We have a never say day attitude and you saw that in midweek.

“We had it last year, still got it this year all my teams have that but the players have to take a lot of credit for that because they buy into what we want them to do and they keep going, keep persevering, and at the moment they are getting their rewards!” 

“We have done very well, we kept the squad that we had last year and have added to it over the first few weeks and months of the season. A couple have left but in general we have been backed by the Club to bring a couple in, some experienced players from a higher level and it has helped us massively!

“We are pinching ourselves seeing where we are in the table, but we know that we are a good side and we love competing in this league against some big teams.” 

“In truth, I’m not that surprised how well we’ve adapted. You have known me a long time and I am not big headed and I always say it as I see it, the boys we had last year were very, very comfortable at that level and I felt that deep in them, I had the belief that they could stand up and be counted in this division, and they have gone on and have shown our belief in them how the belief in them was really.” 

Horsham come to the Artic this weekend and McKimm knows his side face another tough game.

“They were in the FA Cup First Round for the second year running last week which is great for them,” he told us.

“They made the play-offs too and have been in this League for around eight to ten years now and are always there or there about so we know that it will be a tough test.

“One thing we do is a lot of homework on teams, players get enough information about the opposition and then the game plan that we want to execute against them. Then it’s down to the players to produce and so far, they are doing really well and I am very pleased for them.”