Award winner wants more

Cammell Laird manager Tony Sullivan insists his season's work is only half done after collecting January's Evo-Stik NPL First Division North Manager of the Month accolade.

Sullivan, pictured being presented with his award from Evo-Stik Northern Premier League Operations Manager Alan Allcock before his side beat Bamber Bridge 3-2 at the Kirklands Stadium, described winning his first managerial honour of the campaign as a fantastic achievement but warned he's greedy for more and hopes the honour will inspire his troops to even greater efforts during the season's run-in.

Like Rushall Olympic's Neil Kitching and Northwich Victoria's Lee Ashcroft who won last month's Evo-Stik NPL Premier Division and First Division South awards respectively, Sullivan was presented with an inscribed certificate marking his achievement along with personalised items from the Errea benchwear range.

The Lairds manager said: "Awards are great in terms of what I want I'm looking to do as manager. It is fantastic, great, but let see how we get along between now and the end of the season. If we don't go down then I've done my job.

"January was a great month and we had some really good results. I don't want this to be a one off and I'd like to be in the mix for these awards on a regular basis. To do that you have to do everything right all over, both on and off the park. We are going in the right direction and everyone here hopes this is the first of many for the club."

In league action, Sullivan's side beat Warrington away, Salford at home and drew away at Curzon Ashton. The highlights of their month undoubtedly came in the Doodson Sport Cup with Lairds beating Skelmersdale United on penalties at their place in the Second Round before knocking out Chorley with a 3-2 win at Victory Park in the Third Round. As their reward, Lairds welcome Northwich Victoria to Kirklands in March in the competition’s Quarter Finals.

Sullivan insists that everyone at Lairds deserves a share of the credit for his personal honour before joking that it has gone down particularly well with the Sullivan family and his other half.

He added: "It is great for me and great for the club. It shows how well are all doing because the award is not just about me. There are a lot of people here who deserve a lot of credit, a lot of praise. The players first and foremost, for the efforts they're putting in this season, every single one of them. The results have come from that and the club’s committee have also been fantastic.

"Last season they had an opportunity to go in a different direction and they decided against that and I am thankful to them. And I couldn’t have done it without my fantastic backroom team either - Paul 'Macca', Barry, Micky Higgins, Stell the physio, every one one of them.

"It is just fantastic for the club and also for my family and my girlfriend. It's great for people like them as they haven't had me going home and moaning and groaning after defeats! I have a fantastic family behind me, a fantastic squad behind me and everything is great for Cammel Laird at the moment, long may that continue!"