Toolstation NCEL Division One
Mick O’Connell says Harrogate Railway feel they are capable of winning every game and are frustrated if they don’t.
That under-lines the progress made under O’Connell who inherited a side hurtling towards the West Yorkshire League back in early 2020.
O’Connell has lifted them the seabed and turned them into play-offs contenders.
“The atmosphere is really good and everyone is positive and everyone is pulling in the same direction and bought into the same goal,” O’Connell told Non League Yorkshire.
“We want to be in the play-offs this year, we’re not hiding from that.
“It has gone full circle and we’re actually really disappointed when we don’t win.
“We probably should have beaten Rossington the other night and we rested seven whereas they only rested two.
“The lads were gutted after the game that we hadn’t won.
“That’s how far we have come.
“Last year the lads would have accepted a decent performance whereas now they are learning and turning into winners.”
Saturday’s goal-less draw at Hall Road Rangers marked the much-heralded return of wing wizard Rob Youhill.
The experienced winger dislocated his ankle in Railway’s first pre-season fixture and was expected to be out until January.
“Rob’s rehab has been unbelievable,” O’Connell said.
“He has worked really hard and he has put himself out there every single day.
“He’s come back really strong and he had a good 25 minutes on Saturday so that’s a big positive for us.
“Once we get Robbie back up to speed we know what he gives us.”
Youhill put several mouth-watering crosses into the penalty area during his late substitute appearance but nobody came close to getting on the end of them.
O’Connell sent out a warning to his attackers.
“We have to be better in the box.
“When he gets the ball out wide we have to be better and our movement has to be better.
“We need to get people across the front post and need to be hungrier to score goals.”