ROB Small admits playing without pressure has been a huge factor in Bowers & Pitsea’s rise to prominence this season.

The Bowers manager, fresh from winning the Olympian Premier League with Southminster St Leonards last term, has been making waves with his new club this season leading them to their best run of form in the 21st Century.

Bowers are ripping up the record books, having won 10 consecutive league matches, reaching the first qualifying round of the FA Cup and equalling their best ever run in the FA Vase (round one) since the club was reformed in 2004.

And Small was full of praise for his squad, which doesn’t feature a single player from last season, and says there is no pressure to win the Essex Senior league this season.

“It’s been unbelievable,” said Small, 30. “We have clicked as a group straight away and that is really encouraging.

“At the start of the season we were struggling to score goals and now we can’t stop scoring. Lewis (Manor) and Rob (Whitnell) are getting the headlines but we are keeping clean sheets as well so the boys at the back deserve credit too.

“It has come together a lot sooner than expected. We have no right to win anything at all considering this is an entirely new squad from last season.

“People were quick to judge me when I arrived from Southminster in the summer but I am extremely proud of how far we have come.

“I don’t believe we can win this league but all the while we keep winning, we are in with a shot. We are playing with no pressure.”

Bowers host Sawbridgeworth Town tomorrow as they look to continue a late promotion push, having as many as 11 games in hand on sides above them.

And Small believes continuing the run will put them in good stead, with league leaders Haringey Borough set to visit the Len Salmon Stadium next weekend.

“Should we win our last 20 games we will win the league. I think winning them all is impossible, but it is nice knowing we are in with a shout come February.

“This club hasn’t been on a run like this since the turn of the century and we want to keep it up.”

And Small is not just enjoying success on the pitch after he was buoyed by the news this week that he and fiancée Zoe are expecting their first child in August.

Although the Bowers boss has his fingers crossed the baby’s arrival doesn’t coincide with the start of the new football season!

“She knows the score,” laughed Small. “If she’s not giving birth on a match day I will be there although World War Three might break out!

“Who knows, we may be getting our Ryman One North campaign underway!”