New Padiham signing Hart vows to get his head down and achieve something special

The striker netted five times for the Storks earlier in the campaign before following Steve Wilkes to Hallmark Security Premier Division rivals Northwich Victoria in October.

Hart got straight in to the goalscoring grove at Townfield, getting on the scoresheet eight times, but a groin injury sustained just before Christmas stunted his progression.

But now he’s back at the Arbories, reunited with joint managers Liam Smith and Dixon Lambert, and he’s ready to kick on again.

“It was the travelling that did it in the end,” he said. “I was having to set off to games straight from work, I wasn’t able to see my kids as much as I would’ve liked and it was having a negative impact at home.

“I spoke to Ben (Hoskin) and the club put seven days on me from there. It was a no brainer really because it’s a good club right on my doorstep.

“I was playing regularly at Northwich before my injury. I sustained a groin injury before Christmas so I’ve just been trying to build my fitness up and win my place back in the team. I felt fine midweek so I’m good to go.”

The prolific forward was introduced as a 70th minute substitute in Padiham’s defeat against City of Liverpool at the TDP Solicitors Stadium on Wednesday evening.

The visitors stormed into a two-goal lead with goals from Spencer Jordan and Danny Boyle but Jack Hazlehurst got the hosts back in to it right on half-time.

David Forbes levelled for the Merseysiders on the hour before Anthony Brown put them 3-2 up five minutes later.

The Storks looked to have salvaged a point when Danny Boyle equalised with six minutes remaining but, in time added on, Luke Denson made it 4-3 from the spot.

“Mistakes cost us the game in the end after we’d led 2-0,” said Hart. “We let them back in the game right on half-time and then more errors in the second half cost us again. They went on to win it with a penalty in injury time.

“Those kind of games are hard to take, but games are coming thick and fast so we’ve got the opportunity to put it right.”

Hart is looking to get his head down now and work his way into the team. And he likes to think that he can help the club emulate the success of the 2012/13 title-winning campaign.

Hart said: “For me, personally, I feel I’ve moved around too much so I just want to get settled. I want to get my head down, stick around and help them achieve something big.

“I play my best football when I feel settled and I score goals. I’ve got to try and make my way into the team, make an impact and go from there.

“The club has got big ambitions. We can definitely get promotion if we all stick together. We’ve got a good squad and we can definitely do something special. “They’ve done it before and I don’t see any reason why we can’t do it again. I need to earn the right to wear the shirt, get in on the goals and shoot us up the table.”

Padiham entertain Winsford United on Saturday, kick off 3 p.m., and welcome leaders Runcorn Linnets to the Arbories on Tuesday, kick-off 7-45 p.m.