Toolstation/Hellenic Top six finish looks possible for buoyant Abbotonians
❝ We can look forward to exciting times. I’m pleased with how things are shaping up
OLDLAND Abbotonians chairman Clayton Woodman believes his ambitious club can look forward to “exciting times” on the strength of “positive” on and off-field developments.
The Castle Road outfit are up to ninth in Toolstation First Division thanks to three wins from their last four undefeated outings, with Cheddar up next at home tomorrow as the bid to secure a top-six finish continues.
Woodman acknowledged: “We seem to have found our way again after going through a bit of a blip, with injuries and unavailability not helping.
“We’ve added some experience and know-how to what is still a young squad fast becoming fullyfledged Western League players.
“Scott Hatcher, a central midfielder we’ve switched to centrehalf, has settled in very well since joining us from Cribbs, as has Jacob Reader, a striker we signed from Bishop Sutton.
“Craig Parsons hit the ground running looking very sharp wide on the right when he came to us from Bristol Telephones; so all three have blended in well with our younger lads and it bodes well.”
Former AEK Boco and Oldland manager Woodman said of his management team: “Paul Weeks and Darren Sealey are doing a great job in charge since stepping up from being my assistants last season to running the show together since the start of this one.
“Lee Lintern has since joined them as a very popular and motivated conditioning and boxing coach, having once played for Yate Town and Bitton.
“A lot is going on off the pitch too concerning our clubhouse, which is to have not only an extension but a complete revamp to include new bar facilities, toilets, away changing rooms and even extra parking if all goes to plan this summer.
“We have six years left on our ground lease, and we’ve applied to the council for a new 25-year term.
“If that scheme goes ahead, and we can keep the present squad pretty much intact, I feel we can look forward to exciting times.
“For now, I’m pleased with how things are shaping up. We’re ninth in the table and if we can finish in the top six, I’ll be absolutely thrilled.”
Tytherington Rocks, meanwhile, continue to enjoy a new lease of life in the same Toolstation League second tier following their summer sideways switch from Hellenic League Division One, where they were perennial strugglers fighting to secure their status.
Rocks, who were beaten 4-2 at Keynsham Town in a midweek Les Phillips League Cup affair, are placed 11th in the table approaching tomorrow’s home date with bottom team Devizes Town, a healthy position even their chairman Troy Monks admits takes some absorbing given those many previous turbulent years.
“Not many people at the start of the season would have predicted we’d be a mid-table team at this stage,” the Tytherington chief said. “I feel that the change of league has helped us. We’re an unknown quantity; teams don’t know a lot about us, although that works both ways. Whether the Toolstation League is any more or less physical than the Hellenic League is hard to say.
“Having the good facilities we enjoy at Hardwicke Playing Field has, I’m sure, been a factor in us maintaining our Step 6 status. If our ground was not as good as it is, we’d most probably have been relegated by now.
“Not that the challenges have completely gone away. We have had to fold our reserves due to lack of numbers - we only have 18 regular senior players within the club.
“Nonetheless, it’s nice that people can see the way we’ve moved the club forward, and hopefully we’ll continue to build on these foundations.”
Monks says he has been impressed too with the emergence of university sports graduate Jake Edwards as Rocks boss.
“Quite soon into the season our manager Tiago Carreiras had to take time out; so Jake started running the side and continues to do so extremely capably,” the Tytherington chief explained.
“Jake is an FA Level 2 coach in his mid-20s looking to do his UEFA B badge, which we agreed to help him with. It’s good he has a strong backroom team in Graham McAnuff, Jack Chapman and Jake Lawson supporting him every step of the way.
“As someone who used to be a video analyst at Brighton Under18s and Forest Green Rovers, Jake has won everyone over here as manager and has full respect of the players, even though he’d already done a lot of coaching here.”
The rest of tomorrow’s First Division programme contains Bishop Sutton’s home encounter with Bristol Telephones, AEK Boco’s visit to Portishead Town, and Almondsbury’s away-day with Gillingham Town.
The Toolstation Premier’s local game of the day is at Midland Spinner Stadium, where eighth-placed Bitton confront an in-form Clevedon Town, disappointed but unbowed following Wednesday’s penalty shootout defeat by Ashton & Backwell United in the Les Phillips Cup following a 4-4 thriller, who would leapfrog them in the table with a win.
Cadbury Heath go to Bridgwater United, Brislington are at Helston Athletic, Ashton & Backwell visit Ilfracombe Town, and Keynsham Town are in Cornwall for a date with Millbrook.
Tomorrow’s Hellenic Premier fixtures involve Cribbs’ efforts to cement their top-three status with three points at home to Brimscombe & Thrupp.
Hallen host Calne Town for a crucial basement clash, while Roman Glass St George host Bradford Town, Thornbury Town are at Westbury United, and Chipping Sodbury Town visit Westfields.