Eccleshill United boss Ian Banks was delighted with the response from his squad this week as they returned to league action with a huge win after a disappointing cup defeat.

Former Bantams player and assistant manager Banks stated at the start of September that he felt he had the squad to challenge for promotion from Baris Northern Counties East League Division One.

Since then the Eagles have won ten of their dozen league fixtures, so he is obviously an astute judge.

After a 3-1 home defeat to Armthorpe Welfare in the FA Vase, Eccleshill were soaring again when they banked a 6-1 league win against Askern Villa last weekend.

They then exited another knockout competition in midweek as they were edged out 2-1 by Farsley in the West Riding County Cup.

No-nonsense Banks said after the Armthorpe defeat: “We got what we deserved – knocked out because we underperformed,” which gives his plaudits for his own squad more credence.

Following the six-goal league win, Banks – whose eighth-placed side travel to take on leaders Worksop Parramore tomorrow – said: “We had four big players missing, so it was a great performance.

“I had two strikers out in Victor Balas and Andy Howland but Charlie Flaherty, who has been playing centre midfield for me even though he broke into the team as a winger, went up top and did very well.

“Ricky Popplewell scored his first goal for the club and he is another signing we have made as the season has gone along.

“We lost goalkeeper Tahj Bell through injury and even though we didn’t have a keeper on the bench, Scott Price went in goal for the last 20 or so minutes and did a job.

“We are not getting carried away – it’s an old adage but we’ll take each game as it comes. But if we play like we did against Askern and Farsley, then we will win a lot more games than we lose, that’s for sure.

“So we might be in with a chance of promotion but there is a lot more work to do yet.”