Huntly manager Colin Charlesworth assesses Christie Park club’s Highland League season and targets silverware next year
A season of ‘many highs and lows’ has heightened a Highland League manager’s thirst for success.
Huntly ended their campaign with seven straight defeats and some disappointment for manager Colin Charlesworth after numerous positive results.
Saturday’s 4-0 defeat at Fraserburgh, whose goalkeeper scored in the match, brought the curtain down on a year which also saw the Black and Golds reach a cup final and feature regularly in the top six.
Charlesworth praised the club’s fans and the effort of everyone at the club in his post-season comments on Huntly’s website.
And with the club last lifting a trophy when they won the SFA North Regional Challenge Cup in 2007-08, their boss signalled his intentions to end that long wait for glory.
“Breaking ground and getting to a cup final is a massive positive and has given all of us that hunger to do it again and make sure we go to that next step of holding a trophy in the season to come,” he said.
“Reflecting on a season that has delivered many highs and many lows I suppose adds that excitement of wondering what we are going to produce on any given game day or night.
“Looking at the positives first - leading up to Christmas I think we have been highly competitive with some notable wins against some top teams in the league showing that we really do have a strong basis to build on this summer.”
Charlesworth singled out striker Angus Grant for plaudits, with the striker finishing as top marksman in the Highland League with 31 goals.
“Having a player in our team finishing as the league's top goalscorer is a credit to Angus first and foremost, but the players can take pride in knowing they have helped push him every week to score the goals he has.”
Finishing without a win in their last eight games, including those seven straight losses clearly stung the Huntly boss.
“The lows for us are obviously the run-in. We know we haven’t reached the levels we rose to in the first two thirds of the season, busy schedule aside we know we should have picked up more points throughout that period but I can assure everyone that has just made the squad more hungry to put that right next season.
“To wrap it up in a nutshell, there is plenty room for improvement. That would have been the message had we finished the season different because we want to better ourselves each and every week.”
Charlesworth spoke about what happens behind the scenes and on the terraces as a major part of what helps the club to develop and make progress.
“I think the support we have had throughout the course of the season, home and away, has been incredible.
“Whether it be a Saturday or Wednesday in wind, rain or sun we’ve always had a strong following. The supporters club managing to fill buses travelling all across the league to push the lads on that little bit is very much appreciated and doesn’t go unnoticed.
“The volunteers who endlessly turn up and help make the club one of the very best run in the league always adds that little extra for us as a group. We can’t do what we do without you.”
