Toolstation NCEL Premier Division
Mike Carmody feels Goole AFC have to be satisfied with the start to their season.
Although the Vikings sit in 16th, Carmody’s young charges have lost one in seven in the league – to seemingly unstoppable Eccleshill United – are only two wins from tenth spot.
Carmody also believes the opening three months of the campaign have unified the club.
“I think the whole picture of the club in terms of togetherness, the way the fans and committee are backing…the club has come together as one,” Carmody told Non League Yorkshire.
“The club is improving, the crowds are improving and everyone is pulling in the right direction.
“That’s the positive for me, that’s what I would say.
“We have a young and hard-working side and it can only get better.
“That’s the way I see it at the minute.
“I feel we should have picked up a few more points than we have done but on the whole we have been very solid.
“If there’d been a bit more quality in the final third I think we would have won a few more of those games and we’d be sat pretty in the league.
“That’s football and the lads work their socks off so I can’t ask for more than that.
“It is pleasing that we are hard to beat but on the other aspect we do need to start putting wins together.”
The run of one defeat in seven began with Sam Cable-inspired impressive 1-0 defeats of Staveley Miners Welfare and Winterton Rangers – with a draw with Hemsworth Miners Welfare in the middle.
The loss to Eccleshill followed but they responded with three stalemates with Garforth Town, Athersley Rec and Penistone Church.
“We’ve lost five games out of 13 in the league,” Carmody said.
“We haven’t won games we would have liked to have won but we haven’t lost a great deal of games either.
“Staveley was a very good win with a clean sheet as well, as was Winterton at home, another clean sheet.
“They were good performances too, that’s the main thing.
“The result at Garforth was a really good one for us, we’d have took that at the start of the game.
“We potentially could have won it but it was a game of two halves – the wind, the rain, it played a part.
“We were disappointed to concede in the final minute but on the whole I would say it was a fair result.
“We were sat 18th last week and I looked at it and we were joint 13th or something like that.
“One win or two wins pushes us right up.
“I’ve said to the boys that you if we’d picked up a result against Garforth or Athersley or Hemsworth we would be (higher).
“We should have been out of sight at Hemsworth and we should have put the game to bed.
“It is fine margins.”
The man leading the way for Goole is captain and top goal-scorer Josh Dacre who has scored eight times.
Carmody says the defender has been inspirational for his side.
“He’s dangerous from set-pieces and we’re well-drilled on our set-pieces,” he said.
“I think he has scored from three set-pieces.
“He scored a worldie from a free kick at Garforth.
“He’s been brilliant.
“He has been known for (moving around), that’s fair to say but we were big on commitment and been loyal and positive (in the summer) and he’s bought into it.
“For me he is reaping the rewards from it.
“He has been a very good captain and he’s led from example.
“I don’t think you’ll see him scoring 20 goals a season but if he pops up with the odd one we’ll be more than happy.
“It is not just his goals, his performances have been superb.
“He’s settled, he’s captain of the club and he’s enjoying his football – that’s the main thing.”
Goole are away at Winterton Rangers in the FA Vase First Round tomorrow.