Danny Grainger says work is already under way to equip Workington Reds for life in a higher division.
The Borough Park club secured promotion to the Northern Premier League Premier Division last weekend.
Amid memorable play-off final scenes, Reds finally escaped NPL West some three years after they were denied promotion when the Covid-hit 2019/20 season was rendered null and void.
Grainger’s side followed that up by claiming the Fred Conway Cumberland Cup on Tuesday.
But the Workington manager says no time will be wasted in trying to ensure his side can adapt to the higher level.
Me and Terry [Mitchell, assistant manager] are meeting [on Thursday] to sit down and go through the squad again and what we think we need to add,” he said.
“Then we’ll start getting on the phone and looking for players in the next week or so.
“Once you’ve had this little bit of success you’re hungry for the next bit. We’ll be driving as much as we can to get as much success as we can.”
It has been a superb finale to the season for Grainger and his side.
Their 2-1 extra-time win over Runcorn Linnets last Saturday saw Reds claim their first promotion since 2005.
Four days later they thrashed Penrith 9-1 at Brunton Park to claim the county senior cup for the first time since 2017.
Grainger, for whom they are his first pieces of managerial silverware, has urged his team to relish the experience.
He said: “It was a little bit of a relief on Saturday, because we’ve been waiting for that day for quite a few years since the Covid situation happened.
“I said to the players after the game, ‘Enjoy this moment,” because it does soon go – it is a moment.
“That’s something I didn’t do when I was a player at times. I was looking forward straight away.
“What these boys give up, the commitment they show, the lads who travel up from Huddersfield, Liverpool, Manchester areas, boys having to take half days at work to get away from night games…they deserve this.
“I can’t speak any higher of them as a group of players, and I love working with them.”
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