The young Eccleshill United side are still lying low in Baris Northern Counties East League Division One - but they are building on their reputation of playing the game the right way and director of football Mark Ellis is happy to wait for results to follow.

There had been an upturn in points gained since Ellis stepped in as caretaker manager but two defeats in a week stalled any progress up the table.

The Eagles lost back-to-back league games by the odd goal – 3-2 at second-placed Cleethorpes Town and then 2-1 at neighbours Albion Sports, who rose to fourth as a result.

Ellis insisted: “There is no great rush, we just want to keep doing things the right way. I keep saying this is a long-term project and it will be two or three years before we start seeing the benefit of all our hard work.

“People in the game, who know the game, can already see it and we get lots of compliments. The Cleethorpes manager came into our dressing room and said we were the best side they had played this season and we get that a lot. Other coaches tell us they enjoy watching our lads play.”

Albion boss Kulwinder Sandhu joined in the chorus of approval after Wednesday’s derby, admitting that Eccleshill are a “very good side”.

He said: “They play really good football and they play it from the back. If anything, they maybe lack something in the final third, but we only won the game because we took our chances. It was a very good game.”