Ahead of the long trip to Chatham Town in the Isuzu FA Trophy, we spoke to Jack Ellis.
Speaking from Penrith after training, Ellis reflected on the benefits of a change in routine, the squad’s strong recent form, his own versatility and the challenge that awaits in Kent this weekend.
Here is everything we learnt:
1. Adapting to a different week of preparation
“It’s been a bit different with the weather being unpredictable, but we’ve had a good couple of sessions. We’ve tried to stay as professional as possible and it’s been a good week of training overall.”
2. Using the surface to our advantage
“All week we’ve been on a surface that’s very similar to what we’ll play on Saturday. That’s going to help us because we know what to expect now and it should benefit us going into the game.”
3. Taking the FA Trophy seriously
“It’s a competition we want to do well in. There’s an opportunity to go and play at Wembley which would be massive for the club. We’ve got to take it seriously - it’s not one we can mess around in.”
4. Confidence from recent momentum
“Last three games, three wins, three clean sheets - you can’t ask for much more. Confidence is really high in the group right now and we just want to keep this momentum going.”
5. Embracing versatility on the pitch
“It’s been different moving around positions, but this season’s really important for the club. If the manager asks me to play somewhere else, I’ll just get on with it and try and do as well as I can.”
6. Trust from the coaching staff
“The staff fill me with confidence. They know if they ask me to play anywhere they’re going to get 100% effort and I’ll always try my best for the team.”
7. Expecting a tough test at Chatham
“They’re doing really well in their league and they’ll be full of confidence. They like to play football and if we’re not ready, we’ll get punished. It’s going to be a tough game.”
8. Long journeys are part of life up north
“We’re used to it now. Being so far north, we’ve had plenty of long trips this season and I’m sure there’ll be more. It definitely won’t affect our mindset - we’ll be ready.”
9. New faces settling in quickly
“Ryan Galvin’s settled in really well - he seems like a really good lad and he’s trained well. And having Gilly (Alex Gilliead) and Cricky (Chris Conn-Clarke) [extending their loans] is massive for us. They’re two very good players.”
10. Togetherness through highs and lows
“We’ve got such a good group this year. Even when we lost a couple earlier in the season, we weren’t panicking. We knew we’d put things right - and that togetherness is going to be massive going into this part of the season.”
