Whitchurch coach Scott Sturdy believes his side’s win over Hereford is a sign of their growing maturity as they picked stayed in third in the Midlands West 1.

The Reds, missing a number of players, took the points in a tight clash against Hereford after a few weeks’ break over the festive period.

And Sturdy believes the growth his young side have shown will put them in good stead as they prepare to face Longton at Edgeley Park on Saturday.

“They are always tough games at Hereford, so to go there and do a job like we did was very pleasing,” said Sturdy.

“We had seven or eight missing, but we again showed we have created depth in our squad, and we have grown as a team.

“It was a deserved win, was very good from a defensive standpoint.”

On the visit of Longton he added: “It’s a very dangerous game, and I genuinely believe we are going to have to be at our best if we are going to get the right result,” he said.

“After winning four of their last five games following 10 straight defeats, they will come here full of confidence. I have heard they have brought in some new players, so it is going to be very difficult.

“It’s easy to look at the fact we put nearly 40 points past them earlier in the season, but we need to approach the game in the right way and put in another 100 per cent performance.”