How`s It Looking?

We look at how the season looks as it went into the second lockdown, starting with the Premier Division Central.

We`re not even a third of the way through the season in the Pitching In Southern Football League. However, now that the Emirates FA Cup and, in some cases, the Buildbase FA Trophy, is over for some clubs, we have a slightly better vision of how each division is panning out.

In the Premier Division Central, Adam Stevens` Coalville Town and Kevin Horlock`s Needham Market went into the latest lockdown as the only two unbeaten teams.

Stevens will be hoping that the pandemic allows the season to finish this time as his side were well on course for a play-off place when the 2019/20 campaign was ended prematurely.

The Ravens` last game before lockdown was actually a defeat as they were knocked out of the Trophy on penalties by Northern Premier League Premier Division outfit Matlock Town after a 3-3 draw in normal time.

But prior to that, they had hit 10 goals in their last two league games, hammering Banbury United 6-1 and AFC Rushden & Diamonds 4-1 – both at home.

Former Dunkirk striker Tim Berridge, who joined Coalville in 2018, has had a fantastic start to the season with 10 goals in 11 games.

He has formed a successful partnership with the experienced Billy Kee, whose signing in February 2020 after a year out of football was a major coup by Stevens.

The former Accrington Stanley hero has 5 goals in 11 games himself but has also been a massive help to his strike partner.

Coalville`s 2020/21 signings

Jake Eggleton Loughborough University
Prince Ogunmekan Loughborough University
Connor Smith Loughborough University
Chris Robertson Grantham Town
Rhys Hoenes Tamworth

Billy Kee Accrington Stanley (right)

Needham Market were in mid-table on 48 points when lockdown occurred, ending the 2019/20 campaign.

But they were only five points adrift of a top-five spot and had only recently appointed former Manchester City, West Ham United, Ipswich Town and Northern Ireland international Kevin Horlock as manager.

Horlock, who doubles up as the Marketmen`s academy boss, has a youthful squad at Bloomfields and several of his first-team regulars have come up through Horlock`s academy.

He made only three summer signings but all three – striker Byron Lawrence from league rivals Leiston, winger Ben Fowkes from Thurlow Nunn League side Norwich United and former Colchester United defender Josh Pollard from Isthmian League North outfit Coggeshall Town – have made significant contributions to their unbeaten start, with Fowkes especially catching the eye having notched 26 goals last season for the Planters.

Horlock`s men entered the current lockdown on a winning note, having won through in the Trophy against Isthmian South East side Three Bridges and their only loss to date was at Top Field against league rivals Hitchin Town in the FA Cup back in September.

Needham Market`s 2020/21 signings

Byron Lawrence Leiston

Ben Fowkes Norwich United (left)
Josh Pollard Coggeshall Town

It`s been a strange start to 2020/21 for Stratford Town boss Paul Davis.

The former Redditch United head coach made a lot of changes in the close season after they ended the truncated 2019/20 campaign down in 18th place in the table.

But they entered the latest lockdown in third spot, two points behind Coalville and Needham Market.

What Stratford supporters will be a little frustrated with, however, is the fact that their side has conceded 16 goals in their eight league matches.

They have scored 17 which has meant they have won five and lost three of their league games to date.

They have enjoyed some excellent wins, such as an FA Cup success at Bromsgrove Sporting and earning three away points at Alvechurch and Lowestoft Town but their last game saw Davis` side knocked out of the Trophy by Northern Premier League Division One South East side Kidsgrove Athletic.

Davis certainly wielded the axe in the close season, signing virtually a whole new squad of players.

Stratford`s 2020/21 signings

Will Grocutt Stourbridge
Jordan Williams Stourbridge
Tyrell Belford Nuneaton Borough
Kieran Boucher Redditch United
Ross Oulton Barwell
Joe Curtis St Ives Town
Luke Fairlamb Brackley Town
Max Ram Nottingham Forest

Greg Kaziboni Tamworth (right)
Ben Birch Redditch United
Lewis Wilson Banbury United (left for Macclesfield – now Kettering)
Harry Reilly Red Storm (USA)
Mitchell Glover Hednesford Town
Ashley Sammons Halesowen Town
Enoch Andoh Nuneaton Borough
Jimmy Fry Tamworth
Sam Muggleton Chesterfield
Ken Feyi Tamworth

Peterborough Sports and Tamworth were joint top of the table when lockdown initially occurred in early March.

And with a healthy 12-point lead over sixth-placed Stourbridge, the pair were almost certainly assured of at least a play-off spot before the premature end to the campaign.

Forward to the start of the latest lockdown and Tamworth called a temporary halt to proceedings sitting in fifth spot, but Peterborough Sports are down in 12th, having endured a strange start to the 2020/21 campaign.

After drawing against Tamworth on the opening day at the Bee Arena, Sports then shared two other 1-1 draws with Rushall Olympic and Kings Langley and lost 1-0 at Lowestoft before their first league win of the new season came at home to Barwell.

However, there were signs the tide was turning for Jimmy Dean`s men when they were forced to stop playing as they won 4-1 at Leiston in the league and followed that up with a 4-2 success in the Trophy at home against Northern Premier League Premier Division side Gainsborough Trinity.

The Lambs have lost only once in the league to date – a 1-0 defeat at Lye Meadow against Alvechurch – but have drawn half of their matches.

Like Peterborough Sports, the signs were looking good for Gary Smith and Andrew Danylyszyn`s side as they entered lockdown on the back of a 3-0 league win over Biggleswade Town and a 2-1 win in the Trophy at home to Banbury.

Rushall Olympic were fifth when the 2019/20 season was declared null and void and were fourth when the latest lockdown caused a halt to the campaign.

It`s been a mixed bag for Liam McDonald`s side, with four draws in the league and just one defeat – that coming at home to leaders Coalville on October 10th.

But the Pics are another side who will be frustrated at being unable to follow up on back-to-back wins against Barwell – 3-1 in the league at Kirkby Road and 4-1 in the Trophy at Dales Lane.

Redditch United and Alvechurch were both hugely relieved when last season was declared null and void as they sat in the bottom two.

Alvechurch were six points adrift of third-bottom St Ives Town, whilst the Reds were a further five points back.

It`s been a massive change of fortunes on and off the field at Redditch, who replaced Wayne Spicer in early September with former skipper Matt Clarke (left), who had been involved in management at Hereford, Evesham United, Halesowen Town and also worked as assistant manager under Paul Smith at Redditch in 2018.

The club itself also changed hands in July with David Faulkner obtaining the company shares from Chris Swan.

The managerial change came before the league campaign got underway and Clarke made several new signings, as well as bringing in former West Brom favourite Richard Sneekes as his assistant.

And the chances saw the Reds enter the latest lockdown in sixth spot.

However, they may have been just a little happier to have a break as they had lost their last two games – 2-1 at Stratford in the league and 3-2 at the Trico Stadium by Northern Premier League Premier Division outfit Nantwich Town in the Trophy.

Ian Long returned to manage Alvechurch in February, too late maybe to have had an effect on their relegation situation.

He was given the go-ahead to re-build for 2020/21 but, despite a lot of new signings, Church were 17th when the campaign was halted, with two wins, two draws and five defeats in the league.

Long, like Matt Clarke at Redditch, will not have been disappointed to have a rest as his side had failed to win their previous six matches – their last success coming at Lye Meadow against Tamworth on October 10th.