THE important thing about Sunday's game was that we got another two points in the bag -- which has kept us in second place.

It certainly wasn't a classic match by any standards, but it was pretty warm at Don Valley.

It was warm enough for those of us sat in the stands and the temperature was touching 90 degrees on the pitch, which would take its toll on anybody.

Considering the heat I think all 34 players performed pretty well, but the scoreline flattered the Eagles more than just a little bit.

IT WAS great to see the reception given to Stevie Hall before he flew out to Australia to be with his wife.

A home town boy always builds up a good rapport with the fans and he has been a favourite down at the club for more years than many people care to remember. Throughout that time he has been an important member of the squad and been through the good times and some of the tough times at Cougar Park.

During my time here he has been a model professional and has not been a minute's problem. We'll all miss him around.

Now our thoughts are with him in Oz and we hope that everything goes well with the treatment his wife is having.

IT WAS a real blow to see Dean Hanger carried off the pitch last weekend, but the wonders of modern medicine means his injury is nowhere near as bad as it seemed at first.

He's already been into hospital for an operation and the keyhole surgery seems to have done the trick. The op took place on Tuesday and he's already up and about.

The word from the medics is that he could be back in light training fairly soon and could be back in action in time for the first of the play-off games -- that is a big bonus for the club.

AFTER saying farewell to Stevie I hope home fans will give a warm welcome to Gary Lord who will be stepping into his boots in the forward line.

He joins us from Hunslet and has a wealth of experience at the top flight with Leeds, Halifax and Oldham.

He's already fit in well in the dressing room, he's a real bubbly character and will be a real asset to the club.

Converted for the new archive on 30 June 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.