South Adelaide Soccer Club on verge of Premier League after 15-match unbeaten run

A 15-MATCH unbeaten run has fired South Adelaide Soccer Club to the brink of the Premier League for the first time in the club's short history.

A 15-MATCH unbeaten run has fired South Adelaide Soccer Club to the brink of the Premier League for the first time in the club's short history.

But Panthers coach Steve Kitchin is refusing to use the word "promotion" around O'Sullivan's Beach Sports Complex.

"I threaten to fine them (players) if they say the P word," Kitchin says.

"We don't talk about promotion because once you start looking up too far, you let the game you are playing in slip."

South extended its unbeaten run, which includes 11 consecutive wins, with a 1-0 victory over Salisbury United on Saturday.

The win keeps the Panthers in the second promotion spot on the State League table, five points clear of third-placed Pirates with five matches to go.

Kitchin, who took over as first-team coach in 2011, says the results are a reward for the club's commitment to developing its own talent.

"The year before we got promoted (to the State League) we had a lot of older overpaid players in that team.

"All I did was turn up and say 'the money's not there any more' and then all of a sudden I had to turn to the boys that played for the shirt and their love of the club.

"They're mates and they all hang out together and like each other's company."

Captain Chris Reed has been a standout in the centre of defence for the Panthers this season, while striker Jordan Watson has chipped in with 19 goals.

Kitchin says the side, which contains several players he coached in the club's under-17 team in 2006, has benefited from tightening up at the back and adding more depth throughout the squad.

"I'm blessed that I've got players on the bench that could easily walk into other (first) teams, but they saw what might happen at this club and they decided to stick around," he says.

"I also increase their fitness levels each year, but they are very fit young men anyway.

"At the moment they are getting into the routine of winning and that's a very important routine to be in."

South Adelaide has played in the lower reaches of federation soccer since it was formed in 1997.

Kitchin admits reaching the Premier League would be a "massive step" up for the club but remains the target of players and staff.

"We're going through a really good era for the club at the moment, but I don't think we've hit our full potential by a long way.

"If we were to go up, there would still be a lot of hard work for our people to do.

"But we all play for promotion and that's why we are here and now we've created ourselves a chance."