Bognor Regis Town 'very much a work in progress' after resounding victory over Leatherhead

Dan Smith notched four goals while Jimmy Muitt was also on the scoresheet as Bognor moved up to 12th in the BetVictor Isthmian Premier Division.

After a sluggish start, taking just four points from their first seven games, the Rocks have since picked up two wins from their last two games and manager Pearce admits he’s not concerned with how their season is going so far.

He said: “The two home games after the disappointing start to the season puts us into a more comfortable position but it is very much a work in progress.

“We’re close but we need to improve. Like all things at this level, you need a little bit of luck. That’s the secret of football. You do need a bit of good fortune and that’s the unknown ingredient for us. You only get a short period of time to reflect on the decisions that you make.”

He continued: “There’s no point having a penthouse if the foundations aren’t very strong. What you must do is build from the solid foundations and that means you’ve got to be quite good when you haven’t got the ball, especially in defensive areas. And we got the balance wrong.

“They are all individually good lads but when they were put together, it was the wrong combinations. We’ve got goals in us with the players we’ve got and we’ve just got to keep working hard as a team but I don’t get too carried away when we get beat and I don’t get too excited when we win.”

Smith’s outstanding scoring spree on Tuesday night earned him plaudits from his manager.

Pearce said: “His work rate and the chances he’s created since the start of the season have been excellent. Strikers live on the goals they score and he’s got to be doing something right to keep getting in those positions where people expect you to score. Tuesday night, he got his rewards for all the hard work he’s done and I’m really pleased for him.”

Bognor have welcomed many new players since the start of the season and Pearce is impressed with how they’ve settled in the side. He said: "Tommy Leigh and Jimmy Muitt have both done exceptionally well and the three boys that have come in have been excellent but it’s about the whole squad.”

The Rocks host Potters Bar Town next Saturday and Pearce is confident his side can make it three from three. He said: “We’re capable of beating any team in the league. Not many other teams in this league can play the style of football that we do. The style that we play, when it’s rewarding, is quite encouraging.

“It’s good for spectators and it’s a good advert for the game but we can also lose easy as well, so we’ve just got to keep working hard and not get too carried away. Football can turn quickly from a negative into a positive, just as it can go from a positive into a negative."

He added: “The start of the season was not good but I wasn’t really surprised which people won’t understand. If you were a bigger club than us, you’d struggle to reinforce the team but sometimes people’s expectations are not realistic.”