Nene Sunday League - State of play across five divisions.

 

Nene Sunday League - State of Play across 5 divisions.

 

We are now approaching the business end of the season in the Nene Sunday league and a lot of teams are still pushing to climb into the valuable play off places. Things are heating up in all five divisions with the largest deficit of a team outside the play off spots standing at only 4 points.

The Premier division table is very tight at the top with 8 Barrels currently leading the way on 27 points, level with FC TEQ, the barrels have a far superior goal difference, however. North Star, who have a game in hand on the league leaders, remain in third on 23 points alongside Warren FC with Standards Barn and David Green United hot on the tails of third and fourth places, only sitting two points further back. Standards Barn have played 11 games with David Green only playing 9 this far. Hartwell Forest and AFC Hackleton both complete the play off places at this stage of the season, both having played 10 games and on 19 and 15 points, respectively.

The closest of the chasing pack at this stage is AFC Hardingstone who, along with Crick and Norteles are on 13 points. Crick have played less games than the other two and following their 2-1 win over Hackleton on Sunday, they closed the gap between themselves and their opposition to just two points. Below Crick the table sees Barton Albion on 12 points with Dynamo, AFC Becket, and Kingsthorpe Diamonds all on 9 points. University of Northampton and AFC Wellingborough are seemingly out of the race for the play offs, not yet impossible but it will require a huge effort from one of those teams.

With FC TEQ in cup action this weekend, 8 Barrels seized the opportunity to snatch top spot from them following a commanding 4-1 victory over David Green United. A win that sends them six points clear of David Green. Elsewhere, third place North Star suffered defeat at the hands of Barton Albion, The Albion ran out 4-2 winners this weekend with a win that reignites their play-off hopes. Hartwell Forest and AFC Hardingstone also went to battle this weekend and prior to kick off Hardingstone found themselves three points behind their matchday rivals after playing a game more. Hartwell went on to win the game 4-0 and moved six points clear of their opposition to assert their position in the playoff places. The rest of the teams in the division made up the rest of this weekend’s cup fixtures across the Goodliff Cup and the NFA Sunday Cup. Sunday the 30^th of January sees league leaders 8 Barrels host Warren FC and third place North Star host winless AFC Wellingborough. There is also a battle near the bottom when Kingsthorpe Diamonds host University of Northampton, elsewhere Dynamo face AFC Becket.

How the premier division currently looks.

The Nene League Championship is even tighter at the top than the Premier division with three teams’ level, 8 points clear of the rest. Wellingborough Saxons, Upton FC and Hatts United are all on 31 points, Delapre United and AKHIS occupy fourth and fifth on 23 points while Royals, Beer Guerrilla and Thorplands Club 81 complete the remaining play off places on 22, 21 and 18 points, respectively. Royals’ reserves are one place and one point outside the play off positions with AFC Spinney one point further back while Wotton Fields Wanders behind by an additional point. It remains very tight around midtable with Oakley Diamonds, Still Men and AFC Houghton Magna all within seven points of the play off positions. Sands United (9 points), Rushden Sargent’s (6 points) and Albany (0 points) make up the remainder of positions in the division.

Wellingborough Saxons fell to only their second defeat of the season on Sunday and missed the chance to go three points clear at the top with Upton FC in cup action and Hatts United not playing at all. They fell to defeat against Beer Guerrilla, losing 1-0, elsewhere Royals climbed the table with an impressive 6-1 victory over Still Men while AKHIS also impressed by winning at home to Sands United 6-0. Results in the league this weekend ensured that top spot along with play-off positions are well and truly up for grabs in the coming weeks.

Next weekend Wellingborough Saxons have a week off and hand Upton FC and Hatts United the chance to open up a three-point lead in the table. Upton travel to Thorplands Club 81 while Hatts face a trip to AFC Houghton Magna. Albany will be looking to kick start their season when they face Sands United at home while Beer Guerrilla will be looking back up their impressive win and try to close the gap on the teams above them. There are also two mid table clashes when Wootton Field Wanders travel to Royals’ Reserves and AFC Spinney host Oakley Diamonds.

In League One Tove Valley ensured they maintained a 9-point lead at the top of the league with a win while Queens Head FC leapfrogged Grendon Sapphires and Ashby Athletic. Thrapston Town, who were also in cup action, sit in fifth currently ahead of Naseby and Alba Eagles. Nene Natives engage the final playoff position and sit four points ahead of JC United, Higham Ferrers Dons and Spartak. Thorplands Club 81A along with NB Colts sit a further point back while FC Flore, Gregory Celtic and AFC Brampton complete the table in the three bottom positions.

Tove Valley continued to excel this season with a 3-0 win over JC United. Queens Head FC jumped two places and leapfrogged their matchday opposition Ashby Athletic by beating them 3-1, Grendon Sapphires were in cup action but remain above Ashby following their defeat. Bottom side AFC Brampton suffered another defeat at the hands of Thorplands Club 81A while NB Colts and Nene Natives played out an exciting game that finished 3-2 in favour of Nene Natives. Spartak also took all three points from FC Flore after a 3-1 victory.

Next week none of the top three are in action therefore Ashby Athletic will be handed an opportunity to close on second and third positions, a win against Alba Eagles will draw them level on points with Queens Head FC and ensure they go above Grendon. Thrapston also do not play this weekend handing Naseby a chance to climb into fifth, they face Higham Ferrers Dons who will be looking to close the gap on the teams above also. A win for Higham on the other hand will take them within three points of Naseby. Spartak travel to JC United next, both teams are on 13-points so both will be determined to come away with the three points, elsewhere near the bottom, Gregory Celtic host FC Flore and both teams need a win to keep their hopes of play offs alive. AFC Brampton also face NB Colts and will be looking to get their second win of the season while NB will also need a win if they have hopes of play offs this season.

Parklands Phoenix remain unbeaten and sit top of League 2 at present with Croyland Park Rangers closing the gap to just 8-points, St David’s sit third, only one point further back and find themselves in fine form, currently they are on a 13-game unbeaten run in all competitions and have only lost once in the league all season along with Croyland. Southstar FC sit fourth, level on points with St David’s,’ but have played more games that the top three currently. Thorplands Club 81 and Kingsthorpe Jets are 5^th and 6^th with Pitsford sitting one place further back. Sixfields Rangers A take the final play off place at present but are level on points with Rushden Spartans who sit ninth, just outside the play-offs. Roade will fancy their chances of getting a play-off spot, they are only one point back and are currently 2 points ahead of David Green United Reserves while having played 2 games fewer. There is then a six-point gap to the teams below, Latimer All Stars, FC Flore Reserves, Swan and Helmet, Northants All Stars, Crick Athletic Reserves and Brafield Corinthians all look to far away from the play-off spots to mount a challenge.

Croyland Park Rangers climbed above St David’s into second with a convincing 8-3 win at home to FC Flore Reserves while Sixfields Rangers A also ran out comprehensive winners in a 7-0 rout of Crick Athletic Reserves. David Green United’s Reserves played out an entertaining 2-2 draw with Rushden Spartans while Pitsford kept their fight for a playoff spot on the right track with a 2-1 win at Latimer All Stars.

Next weekend sees top spot Parkland Phoenix travel to mid table side Roade while second place Croyland, will look to close the gap on Parklands when they face Latimer All Stars at home. Northants All Stars face Swan and Helmet in a clash near the bottom of the table, Sixfields Rangers host David Green United’s reserves while bottom two Crick Athletic Reserves and Brafield Corinthians go to battle. FC Flore Reserves face Kingsthorpe Jets at home in the only other league two fixture this weekend.

The third division is yet again another tight league with only three points separating the top three. Dally Iguanas sit top but have played two more games than second place Kettering Park Avenue and three more than third place side, Bat and Wickets. Thorplands Club 81 Reserves sit fourth, seven points back from top spot having played two games less than Dally Iguanas also. Positions for play offs are also very congested with only six points separating 11^th to 4^th, Boughton Wanderers, Northants All Stars Reserves, Vicarage Farm, Oakley Diamonds, Hartwell Forest Reserves, Sixfields Rangers B and David Green Development all involved. Below the top eleven and five points further back is Real Roochers who need some wins if they are going to mount a late challenge for the play offs. The teams below may feel it is too late in the season to mount that challenge and previous results would suggest that to. It may not be impossible for Hunsbury Hawks, AFC Hackleton Reserves or Boca Northants but it will certainly be a big ask.

Bottom side Aimstr8 suffered another heavy defeat, this time 10-0 to Broughton Wanderers, Boca Northants also fell to defeat against David Green Development and will feel they need to pick up some points soon if they are to get into the playoffs. Tove Valley Reserves picked up their third win of the season while Real Roochers played out a 1-1 draw with Vicarage Farm. Kettering Park Avenue also closed the gap on league leaders Dally Iguanas with a win over their rivals for top spot. A vital win as they are now one point behind with two games in hand.

With all five tables so tightly contested this season and many teams pushing for play offs, the season is set up perfectly for the neutrals who follow local football, I look forward to attending many of the remaining games and seeing how the remaining fixtures play out. I also look forward to meeting some of the managers players and officials throughout the league and discussing all aspects of it. I will try to cover as many aspects of the league as possible in the remaining months and will try to watch as many teams as I can.

 Good luck to all teams, players and staff involved in the remaining fixtures.