Toolstation NCEL Division One
Darren Holmes and Lee Vigars have guided Glasshoughton to their biggest game since the magical era under Craig Elliott. Picture: Jon Knight
Darren Holmes has hailed his players after surprise package Glasshoughton Welfare secured a play-offs spot on Monday night.
Goals from James Dyson and Andy Horbury were all what were needed to see Glasshoughton over the finish line during the ‘Show Your Support for Luce’ game.
Glasshoughton were expected to finish in mid-table at the beginning of the season, but since October took them past fancied sides such as Hallam, Winterton Rangers and Christian Fox’s Selby.
Welfare now play Grimsby Borough in the play-offs semi-final next Wednesday – arguably the club’s biggest game since their greatest manager Craig Elliott led them to promotion in 2012.
“I think we have come up on the blind side,” joint manager Holmes told Non League Yorkshire.
“Nobody was talking about us being in the play-offs and we used that to our advantage.
“People were saying Selby, Winterton, Hallam when we were eighth or ninth.
“We just kept plugging away and we gradually sneaked our way into the top six and stayed in there for the last three weeks of the season.
“It is an absolutely fantastic feeling to have done it.
“It has been a great season for us. We have kept battling all season, but it was only 15 games back when we started looking at the play-offs.
“We said we could afford to lose of those 15 games and I think we have drawn one and lost one of those 15 so it has been a fantastic effort from all the lads. I’m really proud of every single one of them.
“The strength of Glasshoughton is the squad, from one to 22. It is not one individual, or two individuals, it is the whole squad. They have been quality.”
Glasshoughton were in no man’s land prior to the beginning of their run. Ironically it began after a 4-0 battering at Grimsby – a result which left sixth-bottom and nervously looking over their shoulders.
“You look at those first 15 games we had 18 points,” he said.
“We have looked back thinking ‘well if we had a better start, who knows’? We could have ended up in second or third place.
“The Rossington game (the 15th game of the season) was the turning point when we won 5-4 in the last minute. It really fired us up and I think the players started to believe it was going to be a good season.”
Glasshoughton had to win at Worsbrough as Hallam could have nicked sixth spot if they had beaten Knaresborough Town and Welfare had dropped points at Park Road.
There was also the danger that a draw or defeat would bring Selby back from the dead and back in with a chance of the play-offs.
Fortunately, goals in both halves avoided a doom and gloom scenario and Holmes was delighted with how his players handled the pressure.
“Worsbrough have been a bogey team for us over the last couple of seasons,” he said.
“So we always thought it could be a sticky wicket for us. But the lads have turned up and performed really and battled hard.
“It was a tough game, really competitive. Worsbrough pushed us right to the end, but it was a professional performance. We got the job done.
“We wanted an early goal to settle things down and we did. We missed a couple of chances after that and we were just hoping we wouldn’t go into the last ten minutes only 1-0 up.
“Thankfully we got the second which calmed things down.
“We have kept saying it was our last game of the season, but let’s hope we have two more.”
In the backdrop to the Worsbrough game as the ‘Show Your Support for Luce’ fundraiser, in honour of Connor and Calan Rollinson’s “Mam” Lucille, who has been fighting acute myeloid leukaemia since October.
Over £1100 has been raised for three different charities, with over £800 being collected on the night.
Holmes added: “The turnout was fantastic and it was very emotional for the Rollinson family.
“Both lads are lovely lads and a credit to their mum and dad and it was fantastic we could help.
“We wish them all love and best wishes and a speedy recovery for Lucille.”