Harrogate Railway chief Mick O'Connell more than happy with club's progress during 2022

Harrogate Railway captain Dan McDaid (3) is congratulated by his team-mates after nodding in the only goal of the game during New Year's Eve's win over Brigg Town. Picture: Craig Dinsdale

Mick O’Connell declared himself thoroughly satisfied with Harrogate Railway’s on-field and off-field achievements during 2022.

The Starbeck outfit begin the New Year with their first team third in the NCEL Division One standings, just a point behind second-placed Rossington Main with a game in hand.

Railway’s reserves also flying high under the guidance of Fraser Lancaster in Division One of the West Yorkshire League and on-track for a second successive promotion, while Rob Youhill’s Under-19s continue to go from strength-to-strength.

Thus, first-team boss O’Connell believes that the overall picture is a particularly healthy one.

Harrogate Railway manager Mick O'Connell. Picture: Gerard Binks

“I think that 2022 has been a brilliant year for this club,” the Irishman reflected. “We’ve changed so much on the pitch, we’ve changed so much off the pitch.

“The club is moving forwards. We’ve got a great structure now, Fraser Lancaster’s reserves are flying and got promoted from West Yorkshire Division Two this year and are now challenging for promotion again.

“We have great young players at the club, under-19s are flying and six or seven of them have made first-team debuts this year.

“The first team came very close to promotion, getting to the play-off final and coming up against a very good team in North Ferriby, running them really close.

“So, I think that the whole club is moving forwards as a whole. Everyone has bought into what we want to do and let’s just hope that we can continue that into 2023, keep pushing forwards and make this great football club even better.”

Railway were due to kick-off 2023 with a home game against Dronfield Town on Monday, but that fixture had to be postponed due to the pitch at their Station View base not being playable.

But, a 1-0 success over Brigg Town on home soil on New Year’s Eve means that O’Connell and his men head into this Saturday’s trip to top-of-the-table Campion full of belief and confidence.

Skipper Dan McDaid netted the only goal of the game after 29 minutes, getting forward from left-back to head in Jack Lazenby’s inviting free-kick.

"Any time you play Brigg, you know that you are in for a tough game because they are a good side,” O’Connell added.

"But we were brilliant in the first half. We controlled the game and I thought we deserved the three points.”