Better and better

Well this is weird. Only six games in and we’ve run the gamut from “it’s going to be a long season” to, um, whatever the opposite is.

To be fair, if you saw that opening day it was easy to be pessimistic. Decent first half, ugly second with the ball somehow staying out of our net and the counterpunch seemingly limited to Perry wheeled on to act like an immobile siege engine, flopping on defenders and protesting to the ref. Although we emerged with the 3 points it felt anything but hopeful.

Then came Gateshead, three down in 20 minutes and apocalyptic postings on KTFC chat. But we won the last 70 mins, technically. A small feat which now seems a bit more significant.

Home to Farsley. Already the mood was apprehensive, though the draw was encouraging and felt more hopeful than the previous win. Still we didn’t expect to get anything from the trip to Gloucester, with their full time squad and nice new stadium made out of haulage containers and rubber grass. Up against such talent, what option did our young team average age 17 have except to mercilessly bully them with brutal physicality and general dirtiness. Scandalously we emerged with a victory despite several Chinese burns going unpunished.

Would Fylde burst this developing bubble?  Would they 'eck, as we emerged with great credit from ending their 100% start, then another win at Guiseley which must be especially sweet to Cox, given their history, and tendency to trash him in public.

So here we are, only six games in but far from the easiest in this league, and enough already to feel very good about the way this group of players has coalesced into a team we would hate to face: all hard running, relentless pressing and led by an attacking livewire. And a beanpole who could be the next Peter Crouch, unless you prefer Jake Newman.

If you’re not excited, why not? On our resources this is already impressive, and if PC can keep this group together including the quality loanees Dyche and Neal, who knows. Happily for him, Dyche Jr looks nothing like his dad, though a future Poppies TV interview may reveal if he also sounds like he's gargling through gravel. 

Meanwhile poor Gloucester have lost again and are appealing to the European Court of Human Rights.