Nostell Miners Welfare manager Darren Holmes is very confident his side will secure Toolstation NCEL Premier Division survival
Nostell Miners Welfare have sent out a message to fellow Toolstation NCEL Premier Division strugglers Winterton Rangers and Parkgate – we are coming to get you.
Tuesday night’s 2-0 deserved victory over Garforth Town propelled Nostell off the foot of the table for the first time in a couple of months and has given manager Darren Holmes and his team hope of avoiding the drop.
Holmes, who won the Lancashire League as the reserve team boss at Ossett Albion, replaced the long-serving Alan Colquhoun in September and until the Garforth win, Nostell had only picked up five points all season.
Nostell travel to Heanor tomorrow and Holmes has faith that his team can perform the great escape in the final 15 games of the campaign.
“I’m very confident we can get out of trouble,” he told Sports Performer.
“We have a good set of lads that I have 100% confidence in. They work hard for us and when we put this squad together a few weeks ago I was confident that they were a mid-table side.
“We just needed a bit of luck. Me and (assistant manager) Gareth Hamlet brought a few players from Ossett Albion with Evo Stik experience and that’s why we brought them.
“We’ve had some really poor results (earlier on in the season). Maltby sticks in my mind when we were 5-0 down at half-time, but we have a good set of lads and they have kept going.
“We have been rock-bottom for some weeks, but we have picked up.
“When me and Gaz took over we had zero points and only two players still with us so we had to sign 16 players in two days to put a side together for a match against Glasshoughton.
“It takes time for the team to gel, but hopefully this week is the turning point.
“We have set ourselves a target of getting 15 more points from now. We are hoping 15 points is enough to keep us up.
“We’re now above Lincoln and are chasing Winterton and Parkgate and that’s our target – to finish above Winterton or Parkgate.”
Former Ossett Albion midfielder Simon Poole is one of Nostell’s star players
Among the experienced bodies in Holmes’ dressing room are former Ossett Albion players Simon Poole, Adam Hayton and Jamie Moxon. Nostell also have a top NCEL goalkeeper in Ben Saynor, who won promotion from Division One with Glasshoughton in 2012.
Although Garforth head coach Graham Nicholas described his team’s performance as “embarrassing”, Nostell showed determination and desire and Holmes admits the win was a relief.
“It was great to get a win, one which takes us off the bottom,” he added.
“We have just started to build a credible squad now. The team spirit is good and we’re working hard in training and Tuesday was our first rewards so hopefully it is the start of our season.”