Paulsgrove boss Grant: It’s time to sort the men out from the boys!

That’s the message from Paulsgrove boss Wayne Grant as his side prepare for a massive Hampshire Premier League run.

Unbeaten Grove have dropped fewer points than anyone else in the Senior Division so far.

The 5-1 weekend win over Overton was their seventh win in eight games, and only Bush Hill (46) have netted more than their 41 goals.

Grove have not played any of their fellow HPL top flight heavyweights yet, but that is about to change.

Tuesday’s trip to Hayling United is followed by successive Saturday games against Infinity, Bush Hill and Fleetlands.

‘It’s time to sort the men out from the boys,’ declared Grove boss Wayne Grant.

‘Hayling away is going to be tough, it’s a tiny pitch there which doesn’t suit us.

‘I’ve said to the lads all season, I don’t care how many goals we score, we just need to pick up three points all the time.

‘At the start of the season my aim was the top four, and that’s still my aim. But after the next few weeks, we might know a bit more …

‘Infinity have dropped a few points, but they’re still unbeaten - that shows they still have some fighting spirit.’

Grant was left bemoaning wasted chances in the 5-1 rout of Overton.

‘It was the worst display of finishing I’ve seen in my time at the club,’ he declared.

‘We should have had double figures easily - there were about 10 other clear-cut chances we missed.’

In the absence of injured striker Danny Lane, Shane Cornish was pushed up front with John Cripps coming into midfield.

Billy Butcher, a centre half in the previous week’s win at Clanfield, also started in midfield with Rob White recalled in defence.

Cornish struck twice in the second half after Preston Tee and Zak Willett had given Grove a 2-1 interval lead.

Willett grabbed his 12th goal of the campaign as Grove scored at least five goals for the sixth time in eight league games in 2020/21.

Grant has welcomed defender Jake Warlow back from Fleetlands, and he played for the reserves at the weekend.

‘I was happy to get a call from Jake saying he wanted to come back, I wasn’t expecting it,’ said the boss.

‘I’m always happy to get those calls if a player can improve the squad, and Jake can.

‘He can play in defence, he can play in midfield - he gives us more options.

‘I’ve always said this club is different to any other - it’s like a brotherhood more than a team.

‘Players always come and go, but they always seem to come back!’