We opened our season with a goalless draw against Coggeshall Town and it is not a result I would have sniffed at beforehand.

Coggeshall fans may have felt differently but I feel we should have scored in the first half and if we had I think we would have won the game. They had chances after that but, on the overall balance of play, I am pleased with what I saw.

I thought they could be a team that will challenge before the game and I still think that after the game.

The new players have bedded in well and that doesn’t surprise me. We had a stop-start pre-season so I was a bit worried about fitness but I thought we were robust throughout.

We still have Richard Halle and Ben Sartain to come back into the squad and Correy Davidson as well, who has just had his appendix out.

It was also unusual to be involved in a goalless draw. Our draw count was low last year and a 0-0 at Bury last November was the last time I can remember neither team scoring.

(Goalkeeper) Andy (Wilton) made a very important save just before half-time after we had been on top. We remarked that save was as good as a goal at the break.

We don’t have a game this weekend as our ground work continues and I try not to get frustrated by not playing. But I look at how Tottenham have been able to move their games to away while work continues for their stadium and don’t understand why we can’t do the same. But it’s not the worst thing as we can basically extend our pre-season before a Velocity Cup game next Tuesday and a league game against Canvey Island after that.

Away from Bowers, I make a point of watching the National League highlights and I have been impressed by Billericay. One of the guys in the management team is a Welling fan and he said they were frightening on Tuesday. Clearly they mean business and Concord have got some terrific results as well.