After a long six month wait, the turnstiles were once again clicking at Lower Road as the fans made a much-anticipated return against Coggeshall United.

As they returned, however, so did the dreary English weather in an attempt to rain down on the welcome back parade. But nothing was going to stop Hullbridge, in the bold new grey and yellow strip, from putting on a show in front of the spectators.

Darren Manning described the atmosphere without the fans as ‘very eerie’ and, as each familiar face entered, a swift welcome back smile and wave from the manager himself followed, highlighting the community in which the club had previously been forced to put on standby.

With each fan welcomed, the curtains were drawn for at Lower Road to begin what ended up being some show and some performance. The focus may have been on the return of spectators, but Jay Emmanuel Thomas, whose brother plays for the club and was filling in today amid injuries, soon took to the starring role.

The former Arsenal and QPR forward took to the now pristine pitch of Lower Road and held the game in the palm of his hand at times. It wasn’t long, either, before he notched an assist with a reverse pass finding the feet of Kieran Bishop who made no mistake with the finish.

The much-deserved opener set the tone for a dominant period for Hullbridge. Corner after corner seemed to arrive. Yet, as each one did, the Coggeshall Keeper would rise highest to punch away. It became the theme of the game for some time, and Hullbridge looked comfortable, maybe even a too comfortable.

The way football goes, you must take your chances when on top, and the home side soon learnt this lesson the hard way as Coggeshall found an equaliser. The goal, against the run of play, was converted at the back post on the 30-minute mark. It is a situation the home side must learn to avoid; they must remain focused at all times.

And, after the equaliser, in fairness to them, they did. Come the second half, and no doubt after a reminder of the responsibility to impress the returning fans, the home side looked as sharp as ever, pinging the ball around with clear intention.

Just five minutes into the second half, that intention was highlighted for all to see as the debuting George Cocklin made it a first game to remember. The new signing was in the right place at the right time to tap home from close range to give Hullbridge the lead.

Darren Manning stated post-game when questioned about Cocklin’s brilliant debut that "with performances like that, everyone will fall in love with him." The fans watching on would have undoubtedly been impressed, too, as he controlled the tempo of the game from midfield, picking up and distributing the ball when given the chance.

It was not long after the debutant's goal that Kieran Bishop was once again standing at the 12-yard spot, waiting for the referee to blow his whistle. Before the game, he had converted every penalty in what was becoming the theme of Pre-Season.

Yet, with the added pressure of a crowd, Bishop’s strike could only find the palms of the goalkeeper, who tipped the penalty wide. It should have sealed the game, yet, instead, gave Coggeshall hope; hope they did not take advantage of.

Instead of using the save to motivate themselves back into the game, Coggeshall once again buckled under the relentless Hullbridge pressure.

This time, to finish the game, the goal came from Caiden Thomas who struck from outside the box and into the bottom corner. Another win was sealed, this time with on watching fans who gave much-deserved applause to the players.

The weather attempted to rain down on what became a victorious welcome back parade, but, the Hullbridge train just kept on rolling, and the Hullbridge squad kept on shining as did their successful run of performances ahead of Tuesday's FA Cup game.

Tuesday night will certainly be a special one. The floodlights will be on; The fans will be in attendance. Hullbridge, with new signings at the helm, will take to the pitch. The magic of the FA Cup will take to the atmosphere for the first time to officially signal the return of competitive football at Lower Road.