A 1-0 New FM Northern League One defeat to New Lambton may not have been the appropriate parting gift for Singleton Strikers first grade coach Dave Willoughby on Saturday afternoon.
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Yet the fourth year mentor still put his team first just moments after his 38-year-old coaching career came to an end on Saturday night.
"In fairness we didn't achieve what we set at the start of the year but, all in all, we finished where we should with what we have depth wise," Willoughby told the Singleton Argus.
While the Strikers would finish ninth in the 11-team competition the outgoing mentor personally described the season as an added bonus.
"My realisation is that I was fortunate enough to be given this season as a result of my work commitments," he explained.
"This time last season I was moving on but I picked off a project I'd see out until August 4 which in turn granted me an extra year here.
"But I'm now happy to move on because I'm 55, I have five grandchildren now and the eldest has just been selected to represent Queensland in the National Futsal Championships at the age of 10."
As he waited for his senior players to gather for the season's final training session on Thursday night he informed his under-13 side that he would be stepping aside come season's end.
"But you can renew your license?" asked one adoring junior.
"I have been coaching since I was a 17-year-old and there have been many highlights but its time to step aside," he continued.
"Its still been a great journey and I was fortunate enough to take a Hunter Valley under-16 side to the national championships in 2006.
"To have the opportunity as a 46-year-old to develop a rather significant skill acquisition and development program was also memorable.
"Most of the systems I put in place almost a decade ago are still continuing today.
"I'm also thankful for all the opportunities that Singleton has granted me but I also admit that I was at the right place at the right time.
"To get to the top four of the FFA Cup in my first year and the under-17s come this close to a finals series shows you where we are and to also have two of them play first grade was sensational."
Ironically, he would draw a close on his coaching career by shaking hands with New Lambton coach Jim Foley who had been his very own NSL Youth mentor earlier in the journey.
"Moving forward I believe the right person for the job will have Singleton's interest at heart and he's not thinking about his own career path," he concluded.
"But Singleton can not survive at this level without generating their own talents."