MITCH COOK is "optimistic" Pickering Town can enjoy an even more successful campaign next season.

The Recreation Ground boss, who was parachuted into the manager's job following the sacking of Jimmy Reid late last year, declared himself reasonably satisfied after a 4-0 win at Nostell Miners Welfare meant his side ended the Northern Counties East League premier division season in seventh place.

They picked up 79 points from their 44 games, two more than last season but played two games more. Last year, the Pikes finished fifth.

A Josh Greening hat-trick, his third of the season, along with a Ged Dalton goal meant a comfortable victory in their final league game and Cook is hoping a strong finish to the year - which saw them win five of their last six games and draw the other - can act as a springboard for a possible promotion push next time around.

"The ambition of everyone is to win the league and that's what we are trying to do," he said. "Whether we can achieve that is another thing but, in my pre-season message, that's what I'll be saying we are going for.

"It will be hard and everyone in charge of other teams will be saying the same thing. I have got a list of players I would like to bring to the club and a list I want to stay with the club. If they do there is a great possibility of being successful next season. We are going to start early and work hard and the priority is to get players on board as soon as possible.

"I am optimistic that we could be more successful next season."

Nostell, who finished third from bottom of the premier division, provided little opposition for the Pikes. They took the lead through Dalton on 18 minutes but it was Greening who then stole the show.

Having netted trebles against Thackley and Lincoln Moorlands Railway earlier in the season, Greening got to work late in the first half - scoring twice in a minute and grabbing his first in the 37th - before completing his trio 11 minutes after the resumption.

Pickering: Woodhead, Micklethwaite, Andrew (Woodhead 62), Patterson, Hackworth (Henderson 62), Cook, Dalton, Taylor, Danby (Calvert 55), Tilsley and Greening.

On the display and the run in, Cook added: "We had an idea of what we wanted to do after the cup disappointment against Long Eaton United. We wanted to win every game until the end of the season and we nearly reached that. We wanted to get as many points and possible and we won five out of six.

"We finished in seventh and if there can be success in that then we achieved it."