PAINFUL lessons await those who let their standards drop on the training ground, says Josh Dacres-Cogley.

The Wanderers wing-back reckons there will be no let-up within Ian Evatt’s squad as they prepare to return to League One action this weekend against Exeter City.

Seven straight wins before the international break renewed hope that an automatic promotion tilt could be on the cards this season. But Dacres-Cogley – who has impressed since signing from Tranmere Rovers in the summer – insists nothing will be taken for granted.

“It has been a really enjoyable journey so far and I want to keep enjoying it,” he said.

“I think the standard can get even higher. If it gets sloppy in training, he will stop it and we’ll all be doing press ups, he knows the levels and we have to keep on top of it.

“Things don’t get easier for us, they get harder. There is a target on our back and that is part and parcel of playing at the top of the league and you are on a run like we are.

“To defend that you need to make sure your standards stay sky high.

“We want to win as many games as possible. We need to put ourselves in a good position for the New Year, hopefully we are right up there.”

Dacres-Cogley has played more minutes than any other outfield player at Wanderers this season, and while he was happy to see the international break come along, he was just as pleased to get started again at Lostock at the start of the week.

“I think it is refreshing when you get a little break, get to spend a little bit of time with your family, and I have got a young boy now too,” he said.

“Some of the lads went away and had some downtime. You come back and it is exciting to see everyone again, so we are all looking forward to what’s in store.

Confidence around the camp is high in what is now the best run of results since Evatt took charge three-and-a-half years ago. Having been described as ‘inconsistent’ earlier in the campaign, Wanderers are now starting win over some of their doubters, Dacres-Cogley said.

“I don’t think there is a particular recipe for it, we just go into games with every knowing and doing their jobs, and that is getting us over the line,” he added. “The most important thing is scoring goals and we are managing to do that, we just need to continue doing it.

“I don’t think much has changed, I think we have just cut out the sloppy mistakes we were making earlier in the season and teams are finding it even harder to score against us. When you do that and don’t give away cheap opportunities to score, obviously it is going to be hard for the opposition. When you go on a run of not conceding, teams fear that and we just need to take that into every game.”