In-form Hebburn Town full of belief ahead of Basford United test

Hebburn Town manager Daniel Moore believes his side’s impressive start to the season has helped his squad believe they can shine at a higher level.

Last season’s Northern Premier League East Division title win ensured the Hornets are competing in the third tier of non-league football for the first time in their history this season. Tuesday night’s 2-1 home win against Gainsborough Trinity means Moore’s men have taken maximum points from their first four games and they head in Saturday’s Hebburn Sports Ground meeting with Basford United sat at the top of the Premier Division table.

Moore admitted the form the Hornets have shown during the opening weeks of a historic season is ‘only a start’ and his sole aim remains on ensuring his side collect as many points as quickly as possible over the coming weeks.

He told The Gazette: “I’ve been telling the players they are good enough to be at this level or they wouldn’t be here but I think a lot of them and they’ve performed really well individually. When you get that as a player, when you win four out of four, you start to think you do belong at this level and they just have to keep building on it. It’s only a start, we are still just trying to get as many points on the board as possible and see where it takes us.”

Moore also issued a rallying call to the local community to get behind his side as they look to build on the fine start to the season and stressed having increased support can make ‘a major difference’ to his players.

He said: “I always mention the Ossett game, when we had 1,200 in, and I know it was an occasion, but there’s no reason why we can’t get seven or eight hundred in every week and the way we’ve started the season, the way we play, I think we are good to watch, it would be brilliant to get more down to support the lads. It makes a major difference.”

Moore confirmed he will take a late check on the fitness of Amar Purewal but Aaron Thompson remains unavailable.