After nudging up to 40 points last night with a goalless draw against promotion chasers Barton Rovers, Jez Hall and Warren Everdell are aiming for 60 points from a season at the start of which they were told they would struggle to pick up 30.

The St Ives Town management duo see the team in a mini-midtable league and to finish 10th, 11th or 12th at the end of Southern League season one would be fantastic said Hall, talking to The Hunts Post before the first of five consecutive home games, against Barton last night.

“Sixty points is now our aim,” said Hall. “From what we were told we would struggle to get half of that.

“For our first season in the Southern League, that would be excellent.

“Once this game against Barton is done, the third of three real tough games, we have a run of five home games in six matches and it would be great to have a good run of results at home for the fans.”

On Saturday, St Ives were unlucky to lose just 1-0 to title challengers Slough Town; that game followed the exciting 5-4 defeat to one of the more impressive teams I have seen at the ProEdge Westwood Park this season, Northwood.

But with home matches against AFC Hayes, Uxbridge, Beaconsfield, Egham Town and Royston Town to come, this is a real chance for the club to put more points on the board. Before Barton, they were on 39 – so a good haul from that bunch would put them well on the way to that target of 60.

Bring on Hayes on Saturday.