2 October 2018
This is our second season in the Conference Premier, and I hoped we would consolidate our place as a competitive side, one who could battle for a play-off position. We're about a quarter of the way in now, and look where we are!
We've ridden a run of seven games without a defeat (six wins, one draw) to the upper reaches of a very tightly packed table. As you can see, one poor result, combined with a set of good results for certain other clubs, could send us back to the middle of the table in the blink of an eye. It makes for some interesting times, and I have to be careful not to get too excited or too deflated over the result of a single match.
Our run of outstanding form coincides perfectly with the return of
Tomasz Wisniewski to the lineup. Tomasz twisted his knee in our first league match, and missed our next five games. We won only one of those games. Since Tomasz returned, we've taken 16 points from a possible 18. We've also conceded only two goals in our last eight matches. Needless to say, having our regular center back pairing on the pitch makes a big difference.
I've also been shaping the Alfredians into a team that will hopefully remain in the running for promotion. There are four new men in the team, two here on loan, two who are ours to keep.
In mid-August, we improved our depth by bringing in defender
John Lawless and wide man
Sam Wash.
Lawless is 18, an Irishman from Drogheda. He played last year for University College Dublin, and they let him go after his contract ran out. John can play anywhere along the spine of the team. I like his determination and his willingness to get stuck in. He is also comfortable on the ball, a trait I am coming to appreciate more from my central defenders. There is a side of his game that makes his surname quite appropriate. He was sent off against Forest Green Rovers after two of his tackles were deemed to be a bit too Lawless.
Wash, also 18, was released by Carlisle in July. He spent last season on loan at Spennymoor Town, where he played fairly well in the Moors' futile attempt to avoid relegation from Conference North. Sam is tall, strong, and athletic. He can play on either side of midfield or at right back, providing cover for
Aiden Harris,
Tom Wilkinson, and
Malte Seidel. The technical side of his game is still somewhat raw, but that's nothing our coaching staff can't fix.
At the August transfer deadline, we brought two strikers in on loan:
Graham Palmer from Yeovil Town and
John Bailey from Wycombe Wanderers.
I'm still trying to figure out why Palmer, 17, has basically been cast aside from two clubs at such a young age. Perhaps it's his lack of pace (I'm sometimes guilty of viewing that as a fatal flaw in young forwards myself). I'm willing to look past it, however, as young Graham is 6'6" and strong as a horse. He is also a surprisingly deft passer, and he is much more inclined to contribute defensively than most strikers.
Bailey, 20, came up in Bournemouth's youth program. He failed to make the grade there, moved to Wycombe on a free transfer last year, and got in only three games. He's more than good enough for our level, with plenty of pace and the ability to move without the ball.
I'm finding that as long as I play two men up top, I need four or five good strikers at my disposal. We're about to begin play in the FA Cup and FA Trophy competitions, and I'll need to rotate my squad.
Mick Hart seems to have one real flaw--he gets hurt fairly frequently; in fact, he's injured again now. As
Paul Douglas ages, he's less able to play at a high level for 90 minutes. I wasn't comfortable with only those two and
John Nash in my stable of strikers, and with Graham and Bailey, I now have five forwards I feel comfortable using against any opposition.
Incidentally, the arrival of the two young loanees seemed to light a fire under our captain. Five days after Graham and Bailey joined us, Douglas stung Kettering Town with a hat trick. He leads the club with five goals in all comps.