Toolstation NCEL Division One
Nostell Miners Welfare manager Chris Ellerby
Chris Ellerby is not getting carried away after celebrating his first league win as Nostell Miners Welfare manager – a victory that he says has been coming.
The 3-0 success over Eccleshill United in midweek has put basement side Nostell back in touch with the teams around them.
Ellerby told Non League Yorkshire: “We knew it would take a month for it to gel together and it has come after three weeks.
“It was the seventh game and we did well. More importantly we kept a clean sheet.
“We have scored in goals in every game apart from the first one, but it was more important to tighten up at the back and that’s what we did.
“It was important to get something (because we had been cut adrift), but we knew it was coming because the performances have been there.
“We roll onto Saturday and it is another massive game. We have to keep digging in and improving our performances.
“But if we play like we did against Eccleshill then hopefully we’ll get something from Hallam.
“We can’t count our chickens, there’s a long way to go, but we have to use the win as a stepping stone and we must keep pushing forward.”
Ellerby replaced Graham Nicholas at the beginning of October and has had to completely rebuild Nostell’s team because of mass departures. From the starting line-up against Eccleshill, only Franck Zalo and Blaine Kellett were part of Nicholas’ squad.
The latest signing is young Brighouse Town goalkeeper Harry Stead, on dual-registration terms with Paul Quinn’s side. The stopper impressed Ellerby too.
“I thought Harry Stead, who only signed on Tuesday morning, came in and had a fantastic game,” he said.
“He made some great saves and he fitted straight in with the system.”
Stead is one of many new signings, but there won’t be many more.
“There’s one and possibly a second player that I would like to go and get,” he added.
“We will bide our time. We have a good group of players who all enjoy each other’s company.
“They have a good crack off-the-pitch and they all dig in for each other.
“People expect because of where we are in the league that we will have our heads down every week, but that’s not the case. The lads are a good set.
“If we can add in certain areas and bring in quality we like we will, but if not I’m quite happy with the squad I’ve got.”