With his first season at Plainmoor now behind him, Dan Martin is now looking ahead to the 2022/23 campaign.
After arriving at Plainmoor last summer, the former Fulham and Cardiff youngster went from strength to strength as last season went on, leaving him eager to hit the ground running this time around.
“It was a slow start from me and from the others,” begins Dan.
“ I think it took a little while for the squad and myself to come together and understand how we were playing, and how we played off each other. I think that was down to the players and not the coaching staff, and I think we just didn’t gel like we should have.
“Towards what would have been around Christmas time, we ended up on a really good run, we got a bit of consistency, getting good results, and I think to be honest if we had found that form and cohesion from the start of the season we would’ve been firmly in the play-offs at the end, considering we just missed out anyway. I think if we had just got that going a little bit quicker we would’ve been in the play-offs at the very minimum.”
With 2021/22 now confined to the memory banks, all attention now switches to Seale Hayne next week, as pre-season preparations begin in earnest.
“If I’m honest, I dread the running, and even though I’m good at it I still dread it,” admits Martin.
“I’m looking forward to getting back going and playing some games, and now we have had our break – which is really important for all of us, just to regroup – I think we can go again and make the most of it this season.
“My personal pre-season programme has gone well. I’m fit and been keeping myself ticking over virtually the whole time. I’m getting there, so that’s positive, and I will be looking to come back as sharp as I can ready for the start of the new season.”
With the new season due to begin on Saturday 6th August, The Gulls left-back then goes on to assesses his hopes and aims for the new campaign.
“I think our aim has always got to be to go and win the league, I know that’s what the Gaffer wants!
“Winning the league is our ultimate goal, we want to be promoted and to be back in the Football League as a Club. I obviously haven’t had the privilege of playing in the Football League myself, so that’s my ultimate goal individually as well as for the Club.
”That’s where I think our heads should be as a collective but also play-offs as a minimum target,”. We need to give ourselves the best possible opportunity to go out and get promoted whether that be automatically or through the play-offs.”
Dan also expressed his thanks to the Yellow Army, who have committed themselves to the cause in their numbers once again during the close season.
“I’d love the fans to keep doing what they were doing last season, especially at the back end of the campaign.
”The turn out home and away was brilliant and it really does make a difference. There are clubs who don’t get anywhere near the support that we get and I think it shows sometimes with teams that don’t have a massive attendance home or away.
“The end of the season is when you start getting tired, and that’s when you need the fans to get in, and the Yellow Army were faultless for us last season when we needed them.
”We really do need that again as it does make that extra yard, and extra man, and they were brilliant at lifting us.”