Evening Kenty. Everything is all good mate thanks. I'm finding weekends a bit boring as you would expect but all good. Personally, I am finding it better in terms of being in school through the week rather than being stuck on the laptop like last time as well as having that focus on December 2nd where things will hopefully change again.

I know you’ll be missing football a lot, was it frustrating for the season to be interrupted like this?

Yeah I have been loving the season so far, as I am sure all the lads would say, so it was frustrating it came to a halt again. Everyone has different opinions on the whole pandemic but I would have liked to have seen outdoor sport continue and the big wigs promote the importance of sport both mentally and physically for people.

We’ve obviously had a good start to the season, you must be delighted?

As I said, loving it mate. I said at the start of the season I just wanted lads to get that buzz back for Saturdays after a few ‘tough’ seasons and for us to finish as high as we could. Like you said it has been a great start, I knew we had a great bunch of lads going into the season and we have strengthened but I will be honest I didn’t expect us to perhaps start as well as we have but I am not getting carried away, I just want us to keep enjoying ourselves and see what happens.

How different is the atmosphere in the changing room to the last few years when we were in the NCEL?

Everyone loves winning mate and so the fact we are picking up more wins than we have done in previous season makes for a much happier changing room. You can feel that lads really want to be there and there’s a belief we can go into each game and get something from any match if we perform and in the end of our time in the NCEL I don’t think we really had that.

How do you think the new lads like Josh Madin, Conor Green, James Matthews, Josh Scully and Kurtis Morley have settled into what was pretty much the same group of lads as last year?

They have been brilliant additions and again really boosted the belief among the lads when you bring in lads of their quality. Just as important though, they are genuinely top lads who you enjoy being around and bring plenty to the team off the pitch as well as on it. James looks like he is happy to take on title of 'good for a booking’ from me too which is very kind of him.

There were a few lads who were a bit unsure about sticking with us and moving across to this league. How impressed are you with the way they’ve committed themselves and believed in the team?

To be honest I don’t blame them for perhaps looking for a new challenge and looking elsewhere after another below par season in the NCEL as we don’t get unlimited playing days so it is important we enjoy our Saturdays. However, I know there was a feeling among a lot of us that the change in league would be that fresh start that we needed and so far things have gone well so I am sure those few that thought about moving on are happy with their choice looking back now.

You’re a long standing player with us now, having been here several years, how does this group of players rank compared to some of the other teams you’ve been a part of?

That’s an easy one for me, I believe it is the best we have had since I've been here. There have been some top lads since I have been here like your Schofield's and your Ludlow's but we have got strength in depth now that perhaps we haven’t had in the past.

People will be looking at our position in the NCEL and look at how we’ve started in the East Midlands Counties and wonder what the difference is. What do you put the good start down to?

I do feel the NCEL is a tougher league from the experience so far but I could just be saying that because we are winning more at the minute. I think it is the changing room that has been key to our good start. You can’t put a price on togetherness and I feel the lads have really got each other's backs at the minute and that is helping us pick up those points. It hasn’t been all rosy though and there have been a few games where we haven’t played well and we would have normally lost those games in the past but a difference in mindset has helped us grind out some points.

Obviously in your position, you’ve got a good view of all the action. When you look up top and see Gav King and Ben Partridge, the league’s top two scorers at present, and then look behind you and see the league’s toughest defence, you must go into every game with confidence?

Yeah I have mentioned this, there is a genuine belief among the lads this season that we can get something from every game but at the same time there are plenty of strong teams in this league who will punish you if you don’t perform as Eastwood showed us. Gav and Ben have took the headlines so far and rightly so because you always feel like you have a chance with them up top but the whole team can say they have contributed to our good start, the clean sheets show that.

In our last game before Lockdown, we beat West Bridgford 2-0 with two late, late goals. How was that as a way to end? Do you think you can carry the euphoria from that moment into when we eventually return?

The ending to that game was the reason why we play, the way Ben rounded the keeper and squeezed the ball in to score was brilliant and then Conor’s finish to seal the win was the cherry on the cake. Momentum is massive in football so hopefully we can pick up from where we left of with that finish.

Nobody is getting carried away but at the same time, you as a player must be aware, and appreciate, the potential opportunity available? Are you excited about the rest of the season and challenging for a promotion place?

Yeah, we have a great opportunity to do well if we all stick together. As you said we don’t want to get carried away but I have had enough of being relegation fodder for the last few seasons so if we can’t get excited when we are winning what is the point? Lets get football back and get enjoying those Saturdays again. Cheers, Kenty.