Collins happy how Skegness Town have adapted to new surroundings... but plots promotion push

Nathan Collins is proud of the way his Skegness Town side have established themselves in at step five - but he’s desperate to be pushing for promotion once again.

The Lilywhites ended the weekend sixth in the United Counties League Premier Division North table following a 3-1 win at Heather St John’s.

“I’m sort of caught in between,” manager Collins admitted when asked how he feels about the season to date,

Town’s first in the new league following last summer’s promotion.

“I haven’t been used to this for a while, I’m used to competing up there and going for promotion.

“It’s hard, but then I’ve seen where we are in the league with all the things we’ve had to cope with this season and the other side of my mind’s looking at it sensibly.

“It’s our first season in the league and the UCL’s stronger than it’s ever been with the Gresleys and Long Eatons up there.

“It’s a really tough league, but Boston are doing well in the league and we’ve shown twice we’ve probably been the better team against them, and we’ve competed well against the Lincolnshire sides. We’ve done the double over Sleaford and beaten Deeping.

“It stands you in good stead but you always want that little bit more.”

Collins is in no doubt that he wants to see the Lilywhites pushing on near the top of the table next season.

He added: “I think next year we need to learn from this year and look at the teams who go up and see what they’ve got.

“We have 11 Skegness lads in the squad and we’re giving a lot of young lads an opportunity.

“But wherever we finish, it shows we’re not quite good enough to compete for promotion so we need to change something.

“What I’m saying to the lads is they need to show they’re good enough to be part of it next season.

“The club as a whole is not ready for Evo-Stik football yet as we’ve come up quickly from the Lincs League.

“This was always going to be a season of establishing ourselves and trying to kick on.

“Nothing’s changed in that, but you have to keep improving every season.”

Three first-half finishes Saw Skegness Town leave Heather St John’s win victory.

Conor Marshall tapped in at the back post with just two minutes gone before Elliot Broughton doubled the advantage on 16 minutes, netting directly from a corner.

Gary King made it three five minutes before the interval only for the hosts to pull one back seconds later through James Spruce.

The Lilywhites have no game this weekend but travel to Winterton Rangers for a Lincs Senior Trophy semi-final next Wednesday.