Non-league preview: Ian Long pinpoints key area for unbeaten Rushall Olympic to "improve"
Ian Long has been pleased with Rushall Olympic's unbeaten start to the season but feels there are still areas they can improve.
Aaron Bishop extended Rushall's unbeaten run to six games with an 88th-minute equaliser in their 1-1 draw at local rivals Hednesford Town on Monday.
The Pics have collected three wins and three draws apiece, but newly-appointed boss Long believes his side still need to improve technically if they want to maintain their recent run.
"Little bit disappointed with the way we threw the game away against Stockton on Saturday. I wanted four points from the two games and I've ended up with two," Long admitted.
"As a whole, if somebody would've offered me to be unbeaten six games in then I would've snapped your hand off.
"At the same time, I do think there's a lot of room for improvement in a lot of aspects of our games, especially in possession.
"I don't think we've been very fluent in all honestly in possession. Technically we need to be doing better and the players are better than what they're showing in terms of when we've got the ball.
"That's something we've got to improve on if we want to maintain this run."
Rushall, who reached the first round for the first time last season, get their FA Cup campaign underway against Atherstone Town at Dales Lane in the first qualifying round on Saturday.
Long previously guided Stourbridge to the first round in 2019 and led Alvechurch to the second round courtesy of a 2-1 win at Cheltenham Town three years later.
He recalled: "We drew with Eastleigh in the first round at Stourbridge and got knocked out in the replay.
"We went one better with Alvechurch when we beat Cheltenham 2-1 and ended up playing Forest Green on the tele.
"The one thing the FA Cup gives you is big games early in the season. Rushall got to the first round last season for the first time.
"If we can do that it would be brilliant, but if we can get to the fourth qualifier then that would be a fair run."
Elsewhere in the FA Cup, Hednesford Town welcome Basford United to Keys Park and Halesowen play host to Stratford Town at the Grove.
Kidderminster Harriers won't enter the competition until the next round and resume National League North duties with a trip to Curzon Ashton.
Ryley Reynolds scored a dramatic 97th-minute winner to end Harriers' three-match winless drought in a 3-2 triumph over Leamington last time out.
Back to the FA Cup, Chasetown face Worcester City, who condemned Halesowen to a 3-0 defeat earlier in the week, at the Sixfields Stadium.
Chasetown are fresh from beating local rivals Sporting Khalsa, who travel to Boston Town, after beating Sporting Club Inkberrow 5-1 in the preliminary round.
Meanwhile, Stourbridge are on the road at Hanley, who sit two divisions below them in the English pyramid.
In the Northern West, second-place Stafford Rangers visit Lower Breck and Darlaston Town host Mossley, while Lichfield City travel to Mickleover Town in the Northern One Midlands.
