Eynesbury Rovers aiming for United Counties League Division One title after missing out last season

Goalscorer Lee Bassett advances with the ball against Thrapton Town. Picture: Helen Drake (Image: Archant)

The joint manager – who shares those duties with Matt Plumb – is a little wary of repeating himself after the team narrowly missed out on the top two and promotion last season, but he is confident the team is good enough this term to make the breakthrough.

On Saturday, the management duo even rested players for their 2-0 win at home to Thrapston Town – remarkably, their first home game in 10 – and although he was critical of the performance, he admitted he never thought the points were in danger.

Prolific striker Lee Bassett scored his 26th goal of the season but should have had a hat-trick in the first half. A cracking 25-yard strike from substitute Scott Field made it 2-0 in the second half but the scoreline was kept down by a wonderful performance from the visiting goalkeeper Liam Fox.

“It was a ‘nice’ game,” said Field. “We were quiet and ‘off it’ to be honest. We were leggy but I couldn’t see us getting beaten. It was a clean sheet and three points which is great.

“It’s the first time we have played that formation [3-5-2] and without being disrespectful to Thrapston we gave four players a rest. I didn’t think the formation worked but it’s three points and we keep going.

“Everybody we should get promotion but then everybody was saying that last year as well.

“We have the team to do it though and it would be nice to catch Oadby as well. I still think that are catchable. They are a decent side but they are not world beaters. We are a decent side, too – there are two or three more decent sides in this division.”

Oadby are currently top of the table with 16 wins from 19 games and 50 points. Eynesbury are second with 14 wins from 19 with 45 points. But, while Eynesbury were making light work of their win against mid-table Thrapston on Saturday, Oadby let one in at Bugbrooke St Michaels where they craped a 2-1 win.

Last season Sileby Rangers and AFC Rushden & Diamonds pipped Oadby (third) and Eynesbury (fourth) to the two promotion places.

This season only third-placed Harrowby United and perhaps Steve Kuhne’s St Neots Town Youth & Saints, in fourth, look a threat.

Certainly, games like this Saturday’s against new side Peterborough Sports should be meat and drink to Eynesbury. “We don’t know an awful lot about them but we know we need to keep going and picking up the points,” said Field. “That’s what we will aim to do.”