Dale Stokes says his side has already proved that it can compete at a higher level.
Downham Town take a break from Isthmian League North action tomorrow as they play their first-ever game in the FA Trophy.
Standing between them and a place in the next round is league rivals Walthamstow.
Although Town find themselves on the road again, the Town chief feels his side has adapted well to its new surroundings.
Stokes said: “One thing I would say is that we’ve definitely shown we can compete and without being anywhere near our best. “There are, of course, plenty of things we need to improve on, such as being clinical when we get the chances.”
The Town boss pointed to fine margins in recent games where missed opportunities have cost his side dearly.
“Three times already this season we could have been in a commanding position going into half-time, but instead it’s either been 0-0 or 1-0.
“We then give up the same opportunities and concede. We can’t get away with that anymore, it’s a habit we need to break, as we’ve done that for too many seasons.”
Stokes insists that both players and supporters alike must adjust to the new reality of life at Step 4.
“I’d say the main thing really is just managing expectations,” he said.
“Everyone needs to understand that we can’t expect to dominate teams like we used to. There’s going to be plenty of ugly moments where we have to mix it up and adapt. We have to set up differently.
“We seem to panic and start losing composure when we are under some pressure, but that’s what this level is like.
“That’s the reality. It happens to every team at this level of football for periods of games.”
The Downham manager admitted that changing the group’s mentality after years of success was never going to happen overnight.
“The hardest thing was always going to be adjusting the mindset from the last few seasons, that we won’t go out and win most of our games or be as comfortable in those games as we have previously,” he said.
“We have to understand we will have times where we have to defend for 30 minutes backs against the wall. That’s where we are now.”
Stokes feels that, despite the challenges, his side has enough resilience to make their mark in the league and cup competitions.
“When you look at resources, we are underdogs every week. The crucial part, then, is taking the chances when they come and getting our rewards.
“We should definitely be taking confidence from what’s happened so far, apart from probably Takeley, where we were just off it massively.”
