New Diamonds boss Nunn to take things one step at a time

New boss Chris Nunn will be taking it one step at a time as he starts to plot AFC Rushden & Diamonds' great escape from relegation - and that he intends to do it by bringing the smiles back Hayden Road.

The former Kempston Rovers and Biggleswade Town boss took charge of Diamonds this week, stepping into a hot seat that has already been vacated by Andy Burgess and Richard Maxwell this season.

It has been a pretty grim campaign so far at Hayden Road, with Diamonds sitting rock-bottom of the Pitching-In Southern League Premier Division Central table after 22 games, with just three wins and 12 points to their credit.

They are nine points from safety and it's fair to say the atmosphere at the club has not been the most positive, but Nunn intends to change all that - and will be setting his new players the target of small steps to safety.

"I am trying not to look too far ahead, in terms of finishing fifth from bottom or sixth from bottom," admitted Nunn, talking to AFCRDTV.

"I think the most important thing we have to do is get a smile on our faces.

"We need to enjoy our football, get a link with the supporters and make sure that they can see the team is running through brick walls for them, and working hard for each other.

"Then what we have to try and do is just get above that team that is above us.

"So if we are bottom at the moment, let's try and get to second bottom, and then let's work on the challenge after that.

"Getting to third from bottom, fourth from bottom, and see where it takes us.

"But at the moment I just feel there aren't many smiles around the club, and I want to bring some smiles to the supporters, and to the players as well. You have to start enjoying it and then you will play better."

Nunn, who quit Kempston Rovers to take the Rushden reins, will have had two training sessions with the Diamonds squad before taking charge of his first match at 16th-placed Bedford Town on Boxing Day (ko 3pm).

He worked with the players on Tuesday, and will do so again on Thursday night, and then it's straight into competitive action at The New Eyerie.

"I can't look beyond Bedford, and it is going to be a tough game and they got a great result at the weekend,” said Nunn.

"But we have got to start going to places and giving people a tough game. That is something we have got to start doing as of Monday."