OUR TIME TO TAKE A BOW

RELIEVED boss James Collins admits that earning promotion with Bowers & Pitsea feels like 'redemption'.

- John Lyons

The 41-year-old took charge of the Essex club two years ago, but was unable to prevent them sliding to relegation from the Isthmian Premier in his first year at the helm.

Thankfully, he was given the chance to lead the rebuild and a fourth-place finish in Isthmian North took them into the play-offs. It was then a case of Bowers holding their nerve -they overcame third-placed Felixstowe & Walton United 4-2 on penalties after a 2-2 draw in their semi-final before edging out fifth-placed Brentwood Town 3-2 on spot-kicks after a 1-1 draw in the final at the Len Salmon Stadium.

"Last season, I walked into something and didn't really know what to expect, and we got relegated," Collins told The NLP. "It was the lowest day of my career, so this feels like redemption.

"To put them back where we found them was something important to me. It was the best day of my football career, an incredible feeling."

Laurels