Northern League: Easington Colliery won't get carried away by strong form - Hotchkiss
There was a busy weekend across both divisions of the Northern League.
Olly Hotchkiss has insisted in-form Easington Colliery will keep their feet on the ground despite moving into second place in the Division One table with a comfortable win against Penrith.
The Colliers went into the meeting with the Cumbrian outfit looking for a fourth win in their first five league fixtures of the season and to extend their unbeaten run in all competitions to a seventh game. They had to show their patient side as the visitors kept them at bay for the first hour of the game - but Hotchkiss’ side finally found a breakthrough when Liam Adamson opened the scoring with just over 20 minutes remaining.
The forward went on to complete a devastating hat-trick over the final quarter of an hour to take his seasonal tally to eight goals in seven games and that ensured his side ended the weekend just two points behind league leaders Bishop Auckland.
A tough looking away day at Kendal Town is next on the agenda for Hotchkiss and his players as they make a trip to the Westmorland Flooring Stadium on Tuesday night before turning their focus towards an FA Cup preliminary round tie at Knaresborough Town next weekend.
Despite an extremely impressive opening to the new season, Hotchkiss is adamant his players won’t get carried away as they prepare for another testing week.
He told The Echo: “It was a good win in tough conditions with it being so dry and hot - but I thought we were really good value for the win because we controlled large parts of the game. Penrith were quite stubborn but I thought our fitness and quality showed. I was really proud of the players, the effort, what they gave and the sacrifices they made. It’s three points and we stay fully focused on the game and keep our feet on the ground. It’s a good win, three points and a clean sheet, which is really pleasing.”
Results
Division One: Birtley Town 1-0 Whitley Bay, Easington Colliery 3-0 Penrith, Newcastle Benfield 2-2 Horden CW, North Shields 0-2 Bishop Auckland, Shildon 4-2 Newcastle Blue Star Division Two: Jarrow 2-1 Seaton Carew, Tow Law Town 2-3 AFC Newbiggin
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