Toolstation NCEL Premier Division
Garforth Town manager Rob Hunter
Rob Hunter believes Garforth Town have a good chance of doing really well next season if they retain most of the current squad.
Resurgent Garforth have won six out of their last seven league matches and the 2-0 win over Liversedge last week highlighted their progress as the Miners lost 6-0 at Clayborn back in October.
“It was a depressing afternoon, but we were in a development stage,” Hunter told Non League Yorkshire when looking back at the Liversedge defeat.
“We had taken a few batterings around that time, but we turned around it a couple of weeks after going to Liversedge.
“The smiles are back on the faces of the people at the club. At the start of the season I was getting so much stick to the point where I was getting frustrated.
“It was always going to be difficult at the start of the season because none of the players knew each other. I kept saying ‘give us until Christmas and let the lads develop and grow’.
“The table now looks fantastic for us. My target at the start of the season was eleventh and people thought I was talking rubbish then because the club had come off the back of two seasons of struggle.
“We have a great chance though and I’ve said to the boys that we’ve got to keep them here next year so we can develop Garforth Town.
“If we can go into pre-season with ten or eleven lads that have done it this season for us, what an opportunity it will be for the club.
“If the lads like Simmo (Mark Simpson), Mitch (Hamilton), Paul Hagreen and (captain) James Beaston stick around next season then I really believe we will have a good opportunity to kick on with a proper start to the season.”
16-year-old Garforth Town striker Sean Hunter scored his first NCEL goal from open play in the 2-0 win over Liversedge
Hunter also praised his 16-year-old son Sean, who has been in great form for the Miners. Two weeks ago, the young striker came off the bench and ripped Bottesford to pieces, but just could not score.
He then went onto be the hero against Liversedge as he hit the opener.
“I would’t pick a player if they didn’t deserve to be picked,” Hunter said.
“I’ve said all season that I don’t think Sean is good enough for this level yet, but he’s giving it a good go.
“He’s running in behind teams, causing problems and he’s desperate to play. I’m sick of coming to my house on a Friday night and pestering me to let him play.
“He was at York City in the under 16s last season and he didn’t get an awful lot of opportunities.
“He’s with i2i now and he’s scoring goals for fun. I think he’s also the top goal-scorer for Tadcaster’s under 21s.
“He gets lots of opportunities at good standards of football and scoring on a regular basis.
“It isn’t a easy decision to play him because he’s my son, but he doesn’t miss a single training session and he comes to every game.
“I think he has been on the bench 14 times when he hasn’t got on. He’s learning and it is good for him to be around this environment, like it would be for any 16-year-old.”
Garforth host Retford United tomorrow.