A YEAR ago, a league and cup weekend double against the two joint-leaders would have been an unnerving prospect for rookie Westhoughton skipper Rob Houghton.

The Howfeners were having a tough time and, ultimately, finished bottom of the league, winning just four of their 26 games – a difficult first season for the young captain.

But, as they prepare to face Little Lever in the league tomorrow and Bradshaw in the second round of the Hamer Cup on Sunday, 24-year-old Houghton and his relatively young side are relishing the challenge, their confidence having been boosted by three wins from their first eight games putting them in a comfortable mid-table position.

“The start has been quite positive and there have been a lot of pluses,” Houghton said, reflecting on last season’s disappointments. “The stats don’t lie and, obvously, after finishing bottom we needed to bounce back.

“In fairness, we couldn’t do any worse than last year, but we’ve developed as a team. The young lads are a year wiser and a year tougher, more fixed on cricket and they are not letting last year get them down, which is good.

“We’re in mid-table with a few good teams, yet we’ve lost a couple of tight games to Kearsley and Horwich, which could have gone either way, so we could have been even higher.”

Some would argue they were being ambitious when they set their targets for this season – a top-four finish and success in the Hamer Cup – but, with new professional Qaiser Abbas providing all-round inspiration, Houghton insists his objectives were “realistic” and his optimism has been justified by the start the team have made.

He said: “They are realistic targets because the league’s got more competitive this year. A lot of teams are capable of beating each other. There are some tough games out there – no matter who you are, even the so-called top sides.

“That was highlighted on the first weekend of the season when Little Lever beat Farnworth and Bradshaw beat Greenmount.

“That’s good for local cricket and has raised the standard this year.”

In common with seven of his first-team colleagues Houghton came through the Westhoughton junior ranks and is rightly proud of the ultra-modern facilities at St George’s, where they will have home advantage for both games this weekend. But he admits the new ground can also bring the best out of visiting players.

“Obviously you enjoy playing at home because you know the ground and how it plays. But it can be a hindrance,” he said.

“A lot of teams raise their game when they come here because it’s such an impressive place. I know if the boot was on the other foot I would be looking forward to coming to play at our place this weekend.

“Add to that the fact that both Little Lever and Bradshaw are playing well and you know they’ll be coming here with a lot of confidence.

“But any team that plays us these days knows they are in for a game.”