THAT’S DUN, ANCHORS TO BREAK FREE
MICHAEL Dunwell has insisted that Stockton Town have moved on from the heartache of being denied a near-certain promotion last season.
The Anchors looked set to continue their march up the Non-League pyramid as they built up a 13-point lead at the top of the Northern League Division One table.
Incredibly, after losing just one of their first 30 games, Dunwell’s side held a 23-point gap over North Shields, who were sat just outside of the three promotion places.
However, the arrival of the coronavirus, and the Football Association’s decision to null and void the season, meant that the Anchors missed out on a third promotion in five years.
They are seen as many people’s tips to claim one of the three promotion spots on offer this season and Dunwell revealed that his side are in a good place as they get their title bid underway.
He told The NLP: “We have moved on and we have spoken about it enough as a group.
“It’s gone now, that’s over and done with, and we just have to focus on getting the job done again.
“The lads all know that is the target, we are fully prepared, and we are looking good.
“It’s going to be a challenge, but that’s our focus.
We have just had to forget about what has gone on and look to what will hopefully be a bright future and a successful season.”
Adding quality, rather than quantity, to an already talented squad has been the aim for Dunwell throughout the summer.
Spennymoor Town’s experienced midfielder Shane Henry has joined his hometown club and former Anchors defender Dale Mulligan returned after a spell with title rivals Shildon.
Dunwell had already strengthened his squad in the closing months of last season when former Hartlepool United winger Jonathan Franks agreed to join Stockton.
With the club firmly setting their sights on continuing their recent progression, Dunwell is upbeat.
“We looked when we came back to pre-season and we believe it’s the strongest squad we have had here,” he added.
“The likes of Shane and Jonathan have come in and Dale has returned because I felt that was an area where we were short last year.
“That just shows that year-on-year we are getting better and growing as a club. If we grow as a club, we can attract this calibre of player and that is what we have to continue looking to do in the future.”