Soccer: Small step in right direction for Kingz

Football Kingz general manager Peter Cox, still very much the new boy on the block, is keeping his feet firmly on the ground even though his team have broken through for their first win of the NSL season.

"It is no more than one small step," says Cox, who has taken over from club chairman/founder Chris Turner in looking after the day-to-day affairs.

"I'm certainly not leaping about and jumping for joy.

"I'm happy for the lads. That win was just reward for the work they have put in. Sure, it was a respectable effort but we still need a swag of points. We are a long way off the top six.

"It's up to the club as a whole to continue that progression. We have to drive even harder to find the improvement we need as an organisation and team. Encouragingly, everyone is pushing for more and better.

"After the win against Marconi our fans upstairs were very, very chuffed," Cox says. "They understand the work that has gone in. The win was overdue but the fans found it a very entertaining game.

"The players, a little surprisingly, did not dwell too long. They were relieved the pressure had gone off them but they were just as keen to talk about getting set to build on what they had done. Their philosophy was one of just starting. Better late than never."

Cox says that while one swallow does not make a summer, it is the boost the club needs.

"To get the support back on board we need more than one win," he says. "Absolutely, we have to be more consistent. Teams have done it from there [made the top six play-offs] before. We think we can do it. We want to show this was not a flash in the pan."

Cox says there is still a "tremendous amount being done off the field" to ensure the club's survival. By sending two young players to Chelsea FC, the Kingz showed they were determined to press on with their youth policy.

Cox adds the club was still pushing to have a Chelsea player join them in January to fill one overseas spot left. He would join Norwegians Aleksander Midtsian and Espen Schjerven and Chilean Mauro Donoso.