RADCLIFFE goalkeeper Ollie Martin has had another sterling month on the pitch as he has been named Boro’s Player of the Month award winner for October.

With three clean sheets and a handful of penalty saves the former Mossley man was a shoo-in for the award.

Martin last won the award back in March and he was delighted to be picking up the prize once again.

“It feels good,” he said. “I won it back in March last season and it feels just as good now as it did back then. I’m really happy with it.”

This season Jon Macken’s Boro have faced new challenges with the step up to the BetVictor League’s Premier Division.

But so far, having been facing unfamiliar, and tougher, teams Martin believes that he and his new team mates have coped well with life at a higher level.

“The step up has been good,” he said. “Last year we always played well against whoever was up there and there are no bad teams in this league. I think we are doing well.

“The lads who have come in, for example Matt Hughes, I’ve played with him before. Everyone sort of knows everyone in non-league so you have an idea of what they are like when they come in.”

Martin was very pleased to receive the award once again but, far from resting on his laurels, he is always striving to improve individually and as a team.

When asked what could be better than then three clean sheets he said: “Well four would’ve been nice!”

He believes that if Boro can continue in their current vein of form, which has seen them register back-to-back league wins, against Matlock and

Stalybridge, they will be able to climb higher than their current 15th place in the table.

“It is nice but it is not just the goalkeeper it is about the team,” he added. “The team is keeping the clean sheets, I am obviously personally happy with it. If we can get three clean sheets a month then we are going to do well.”

Last season’s play-off winning campaign was made possible as Radcliffe managed their games in hand effectively.

And, with up to four games in hand on their rivals, Martin is hopeful that a similar story could unfold this time around.

“Last year we had plenty games in hand for the majority of last season,” he said. “We managed them well but we have to take each game as it comes and obviously the next one is the most important one and you have to make sure you deal with that one before you look ahead.”