Nostell Miners Welfare manager Darren Holmes very confident his side will overcome their tough start to the Toolstation NCEL Premier Division season which sees them playing away from home for the first two months of the season
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Playing away from home for the first two months of the Toolstation NCEL Premier Division season does not worry Nostell Miners Welfare manager Darren Holmes.
Due to major pitch renovation at Crofton Community Centre, Nostell will not play at home until October 7th which means Holmes’ men are on the road for nine consecutive league fixtures.
Holmes, who has appointed Ossett Town reserve team boss Alan Semley to his coaching staff as assistant manager, is confident his side can cope with the potential nightmare start.
“It is the biggest challenge,” Holmes told Non League Yorkshire.
“We are hoping to have the pitch ready earlier than what they’re (contractors) are saying.
“The biggest benefit (from playing away from home) is that when it gets cold and dark, we’ll have a run of home games and not have to travel – that’s the reward.
“I’m not worried (by having to play away for the first two months) because we play well away from home.
“We do need to get off to a good start though.
“We’ve had a good pre-season so far. Team spirit is high, but I suppose if we lost the first three games then that would probably drop off.”
Holmes and Gareth Hamlet, who remains with the club, are the former Ossett Albion reserve team managers and the pair replaced Alan Colquhoun last September at Nostell.
The pair have retained most of the squad that kept the club in the Premier Division by the skin of their teeth.
The Hayton brothers, Adam and Will return, as does long-serving midfielder Daz Rushton and goalkeeper Ben Saynor.
Former Ossett Albion midfielder Simon Poole, who has scored three goals in pre-season already, is another returnee along with Jamie Moxon, Joe Penn and Matthew Johnson.
Nostell have recruited striker Jermaine Moyce, formerly of Liversedge, and Semley has brought some of Ossett’s reserve players with him – including Matt Cunliffe, James Stanley and midfielder Baz Rothery.
Holmes just hopes that 2014-15 is not another season based around a survival battle.
“I’d like to think we’re a bit more ambitious than looking just to survive,” he said.
“We have a stronger squad than last season. We’re probably two or three players short of what we wanted the squad to be like.
“But, we don’t want to just looking to survive, we’re looking at finishing around halfway.
“You have to be realistic though and for Nostell to finish out of the bottom five would be a good achievement, I suppose.
“I genuinely think everyone at the club is looking forward to the season.”
Nostell survived by just one point last season – finishing one place out of the bottom two.
Long-serving manager Colquhoun, who had led Nostell out of the West Yorkshire League and into the NCEL, left after a disastrous opening seven matches
Holmes and Hamlet soon arrived and brought a host of new players, but the club still seemed destined for the drop until lift off arrived in February.
A 2-0 win over Garforth was the springboard and Nostell never looked back. A 4-2 victory over Bridlington soon followed and 11 more points were collected to ensure safety.
Holmes added. “It was a funny season.
“When the season finished and we did stay up everyone was saying ‘well done it’s a fantastic achievement’.
“I was a bit deflated because I’m not used to losing so many games. But given the size of the budget, Nostell are probably punching above their weight.
“You look at Heanor and what is supposed to be their budget and what Shaw Lane have, we’re spending next to nothing.
“So for a team like Nostell to stay up is a massive achievement.”
Nostell face Beeston St Anthony’s on Saturday before travelling to Brighouse Town next Tuesday.
Nostell start the Toolstation season at Maltby Main on August 9th.
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