PERSHORE Town manager Danny Janes kept his pre-season promise to guide his team to the league title but this is just the start for the Plums.

Their 8-0 thrashing of Moreton Rangers on Thursday evening clinched the Hellenic League Division One title and with it, promotion to Step 5 for the first time in over 20 years.

It was Pershore's 28th victory of the season from 33 games and they have sealed promotion with three games to spare and that has a lot to do with Janes and his coaching staff.

READ MORE | Murphy bags a hat-trick as Pershore clinch title in style

They came in half-way through the 2021/22 campaign and took Pershore from mid-table to the play-offs before losing out to Worcester Raiders in the semi-finals.

At the start of the 2022/23 campaign, Janes said the aim was winning the title and that is exactly what he delivered.

Worcester News: Manager Danny Janes has taken Pershore Town into Step 5 in his first full season in chargeManager Danny Janes has taken Pershore Town into Step 5 in his first full season in charge (Image: Geoff Moore)

"We have been the most consistent side all season," said Janes.

"When I played for Pershore years ago, the club needed to get out of Step 6 and when I was at Stratford, I targetted Pershore and said that it was a sleeping giant and the club has underachieved.

"We have come here to make sure the club go up and we have done that and now the club needs to push on and try and get out of step 5, that's the target."

As if one league title wasn't enough, Janes is now already planning his assult on the Hellenic Premier title next season.

"We as a coaching group thrive on pressure and we don't shy away from the challenge. We have always said that when we get to Step 5, which we have, the ambition is to go in there and win that league, we don't want to go up and have a settling-in period.

"Worcester Raiders (promoted to Step 5 for this season and have finished in the top five) might look at themselves and think they have had a good season but I don't think they have.

"Clubs like Raiders and Pershore can go into that league and win it so next season we obviously need to look at the squad and we will get there eventually, we have a lot left to play for.

"But we know what we need to do for improvement to make sure we win that league so that's what we will be doing. 

"You need to bring in the right characters. We got the depth well this season, we just need to improve the depth a bit more and focus on one or two areas but we will get going on that as soon as this season is done."

Next season, The FA have introduced play-offs at Step 5 and so chances of going up are better than they have been in recent years... but Janes doesn't think the Plums will need them.

"The play-offs coming in at step 5 should have been done before now and I'm not sure why it hasn't but that is obviously a good thing," he added.

"But it wont matter to us because we won't need the play-offs, we will be going up as league winners!"