MID-Cheshire romped to victory in their season opener.
They thrashed poor Preston home and away to pick up the win Gary Cookson so desperately craved to leave the team boss a happy man.
"It's mission accomplished," he told the Guardian.
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"I think the players' performance exceeded expectation because it was such a convincing win and everybody was on a high late into the night on Sunday."
The final score, 25-7, backs up that view.
Cookson said he felt Preston were worse than last year, while Mid-Cheshire had taken their game up a level, although he did sound a warning to his players.
They face Ormskirk next month, winners against Middleton at the weekend.
"I think Preston are probably the weakest team we will face," he said.
"All the other games will be a lot tougher and more of a test.
"I said last week that we had lost the element of surprise this summer so I thought Preston would be ready for us but we just blew them away."
Cookson himself watched the home leg at Rudheath Sports and Social Club, where Frodsham Red Lion's Graham Donnelly earned the Player of the Match prize for his victory over Ken Taylor in the match's opening block.
Others shone too.
Dave Stanley, making his Mid-Cheshire debut, starred on his home patch while Andy Hamman was in fine form to claim one of the day's most impressive winning margins - 21-8 against Dave Rawlinson.
On the road at Farington Cons Matt Thurwell (Comberbach) was picked as star performer for his superb success against Wayne Ditchfield, one of the game's rising young stars.
Another in imperious form was Wharton Cons' Ashley Blackburn.
Drafted in as a last minute reserve, he stormed back from 17-9 down to win 21-18.
It leaves Cookson with plenty to think about ahead of this week's selectoin meeting that will pick the squad to face Ormskirk on May 25.
"We will find it difficult to leave anybody out," he said.
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