Town are having a good season so far, as they sit sixth in the table, looking to build on the previous campaign’s twelfth place finish in Southern One Midlands. In the close season, manager Chris Nunn added to the core of his side with a number of a new additions. These included Stevenage goalkeeper Ryan Rayner, and in defence, Nathan Field from St Neots Town, Hitchin Town’s Sam Pemberton and Graham Rush from Mildenhall Town.

The midfield was bolstered with Geoffrey Banks-Smith of Brentford, Stotfold’s Stuart Lochhead, Thomas McGowan from Northampton Town and Jonathan Woolf of Bedford Town. In attack, Paul Barnes signed, along with Ely City’s Adam Bensaud and Cambridge City’s Steven Gentle.

A good opening month began with a 2-2 draw at Aylesbury, in which Barnes scored twice, whilst Banks-Smith set up a 1-0 home win over Daventry Town and Barnes levelled in the 1-1 home draw with Rugby Town. Switching to the FA Cup, the Waders won 5-1 at Eastern Counties side Newmarket Town thanks to a hat trick from Barnes, and further contributions from Lee Harman and Woolf. Into September, and Town crashed 5-1 at home to Slough Town.

Back in the FA Cup, Brett Donnelly scored twice, alongside a last-gasp Bensaud equaliser in a 3-3 home draw with AFC Stamford. Successive defeats followed, though, 3-0 in the Cup replay and 2-1 at Burnham in the league, but Uxbridge were beaten 2-1 at the Carlsberg Stadium by goals from Donnelly and Lochhead. Rounding off September was a 0-0 draw in the local derby at Arlesey Town, whilst the Trophy opened with a 1-1 draw at Metropolitan Police, earned by Barnes. Barnes and Woolf set up a 2-0 home replay win against the previously undefeated Police side.

Returning to league action, Lochhead’s penalty secured a 1-0 win at Beaconsfield SYCOB, and he equalised in the 1-1 draw at North Greenford United, but a home exit was suffered to Billericay Town in the Trophy. The response was seven goals in the next two games, as Barnes netted twice, alongside Woolf, in a 3-0 win at Atherstone United, whilst Woolf, Gentle, Barnes and Donnelly all scored in the 4-0 home success against AFC Hayes. A 2-0 home defeat to Arlesey followed in the Red Insure Cup, but the trip to Woodford United saw a 3-1 win thanks to goals from Woolf, Stephen Smith and Barnes. Switching competition, Bradley O’Donovan scored twice, alongside Lochhead in a 3-0 North Beds Senior Cup win at Potton United, whilst last Saturday brought a 2-1 home defeat to Hitchin Town.

By Gerard Butler