‘We want to bid Two promotion’
COUNTY’S National League title-winning boss Dave Challinor insists that “this is just the beginning” for his side, as The Hatters secured promotion back to the EFL this week – before immediately setting their sights on League Two glory next season.
A dominant 2-0 win over play-off contenders Halifax Town at Edgeley Park on Sunday secured County’s return to the Football League after an elevenyear exile, with Challinor guiding his former playing side back to the promised land at his first time of asking, after returning to the club as manager back in November.
Goals either side of halftime from talisman Paddy Madden and goalscoring midfielder Will Collar sealed a memorable title win for The Hatters in front of a sold-out crowd of 10,307 at Edgeley Park, with Wrexham missing out as County eventually eased to success by six points at the top of the table.
Challinor will also feel vindicated in his decision to leave League Two side Hartlepool United to join County back in November, after taking The Pools into the EFL the season prior.
The former Tranmere Rovers defender has now made history, after winning promotion from the same division two years in a row – going one better in the process, after winning the play-offs with the North East outfit last time around.
“It’s brilliant to get over the line. A huge achievement for the club. But this is just the first step of, hopefully, many for this club,” said Challinor.
“I’ve completed this now! I’ve lost a play-off final, won a play-off final and now won as champions, so that’ll do me for the National League.
“It’s a hell of a lot easier this way. People say there’s no better way of winning than the play-offs – Sunday was our play-off. A one-off game to get over the line and do what we needed to do.
“To be able to lift that trophy, to go away now on holiday and be able to watch other people agonise over the play-offs is really pleasing.”
An end-of-season wobble from The Hatters meant that the fate of the National League crown did go to the final day, with County’s comfortable win over Halifax coupled with a Dagenham & Redbridge thrashing of Wrexham ensuring that Challinor’s men soared over the finishing line.
But after a mixed bag of results prior to the final weekend saw County lose four of their final eight fixtures, Challinor admitted that the last hurdle was always going to be the toughest for his side.
His resilient side surged back into form to end the campaign with two wins on home soil, beating Torquay United 1-0 at Edgeley Park on Wednesday prior to the visit of The Shaymen.
“The last lap is always the hardest,” he said. “Winning football matches against any side at this level is always incredibly tough.
“But when there’s added pressure of the title, it’s even harder. It’s much easier earlier on in the season because you have so long left of the campaign to get over defeats, but when it’s the be-all and end-all, it becomes that bit tougher.
“But the players have been terrific and have answered any critics they’ve had. To win in the manner that we did on Sunday showed a lot about the character of those players.”
Challinor replaced former manager Simon Rusk in November with County languishing in tenth in the division – but an inspired run of 24 wins from the last thirty of the season under the former County captain proved the bedrock of success.
“I can’t change what went before me, but we wanted to challenge a highly-motivated group of players to play in a certain way. We have an identity on the pitch now, and that’s what we wanted all along.
“We’re fortunate that our identity has made us successful. We need to improve on that from here and be better next year heading into the Football League.”
With Challinor now set for a summer break before getting back to work on making County equally as successful in League Two next term, the Hatters chief fired a warning shot to County’s EFL competitors.
“We’re a huge club, hence why Mark (Stott) bought it. We can sell this place out and go bigger and bigger, it’s a massive town – a town that’s deserving of a Football League club, and now they have that,” he said.
“This is the first step – the challenge now is to make sure we are competing next season in League Two, because the ambition remains the same. We want to be promoted from League Two next season. It’s a big statement, but that’s where we will strive to be.”