A goal scored late in each half was enough to break the Colliers five game unbeaten streak last Friday night, however Olly believes the scoreline did not reflect what happened on the pitch.

“We just missed chances,” said Olly.

“I don’t think there was too much wrong with the performance. I thought we controlled large parts of the game.

“On the night I thought we were the better side but that’s football. We dominated the game and had five or six really good chances but did not register any. They had a couple of chances and took two so ultimately that’s what went wrong. We didn’t take chances when they slipped up and we paid the price”

The Welfare Park endured the elements on Friday night with harsh winds affecting both sides, but the manager is not going to create excuses for his side’s performance.

“When it’s windy up at Easington, it is always a tough place to play football, but I actually thought we played better against the wind.

“Second half I thought we were much more well controlled and our build up play was really good. But it is difficult, in the first half we had a couple of opportunities to put crosses into the box, but the wind carried the ball out of play if the cross had slightly too much venom on.

“It’s always a tough factor, but I thought we dealt with it really well. I can’t use it as an excuse on why we lost the game”

The Colliers have three games in quick succession with two leagues games against Newcastle Benfield tomorrow (Saturday 7th December) and West Allotment Celtic on the 14th December, as well as a Durham Challenge Cup quarter-final against Hebburn Town on the 12th.

When asked about whether this will take a toll on his players’ fitness and if this will cause rotations in his starting 11, Olly responded positively.

“We’ll have to see what availability is like. It is an important league game on Saturday up at Benfield, so we will put out a side we feel will win the game.

“We have got a little bit of recovery time after Benfield before the cup game on Thursday night so we will see what the squad looks like then before a quick turn around for the West Allotment game on the Saturday.

“If we have to rotate players, it’s fine. We have started to get a little bit more depth into the squad. We’ll take it game by game, see what the squad is looking like, and then figure out how we approach it.”

With crucial games coming up fast, it is all the more reason for fans to get excited about the Colliers’ latest arrivals. Logan Robinson, Finlay Foster and Ethan Thomson have all officially signed for the club, and the manager couldn’t be more pleased about his new additions.

“I am a big believer in young players and the process of coaching players to make them better. Ultimately, it’s great to see these young lads coming through especially when one (Foster) is from our junior section. It sets a good pathway into the men’s first team.

“Ethan and Logan were part of the South Shields setup which is highly regarded so clearly the boys have masses of ability.

“It is about getting the best out of them and educating and coaching them into the men’s game. To see young Finlay come through from the youth section and be a part of the men’s section, I think that’s a great story.

“It is great to have such young kids evolve and learn from some of the more experienced players.

“Every little signing helps. We don’t bring bad players with bad characters into the club. They are here for the right reasons, and they are exactly the type of player profiles we are looking for”

A good way to see the new recruits play is to buy a half season ticket! Adult ticket prices are £40, working out at £4 per game with 10 home games left. All concession ticket prices are £20. Drop our page a message to get your half season ticket just in time for Christmas!

BY JOHN TALLENTIRE