Manager reflects on the time-sapping run that has taken Parkgate FC to the brink of promotion

The promotion hunting Steelmen are having to play ten matches in 20 days to clear a huge backlog.

Despite that, they’ve pieced together four wins in the space of a week to move to the top of the Northern Counties East League Division One and they will clinch the championship and a move up to the top flight if they beat Wombwell Town tomorrow night.

"It has tired me out, never mind the players,” said Mason. “I struggle to sleep after night games anyway and when you’re travelling back from Beverley or Harrogate and not getting home until gone midnight, it’s a lot of time and the effort, not just from me but from everybody.

"I’ve seen the lads more than I’ve seen any of my family. It’s unreal.

“It’s been exactly the same for them and that’s the dedication they’ve got. They work here, there and everywhere and travel back from their daily jobs to go and play football.

"To play as many matches as we have in such a short space of time to properly put us in the mix, now they need to go and take that opportunity.”

Trailing at home to Retford United on Tuesday, Parkgate turned the match around to win 3-2 with a brace from Ross Duggan and a goal from Jack Haslam.

"Even when we were under the cosh on Tuesday, 2-1 down at half time, you could tell the players were focussed and they went and put in an unreal performance in the second half,” said Mason.

"The squad is a young set of lads really but we have Danny Patterson in there, who is a winner, and people like Niall Smith and Ross Duggan and others.

"After all the matches we’ve niggles and injuries but we’ve still a squad of 20 to pick from.

"We trusted in the group and they’ve stuck together and they’re getting their rewards now.”

Parkgate need to win one of their remaining games, away to Wombwell tomorrow or Shirebrook Town on Monday, to clinch top spot. They also have a League Cup quarter-final to squeeze in at home to Silsden on Saturday.

"We’ve got two tough away games,” added Scott. “Shirebrook are up there and Wombwell is a hard place to go. We won there in the cup earlier in the season but they got a draw at our place and they’re a good set of lads.

“We haven’t won anything yet but if our lads carry on what they’re doing then there’s no reason for them not to be picking that trophy up because they’ve been so good these last few weeks.”