Its back to League action for all three teams this weekend, then, as each of our sides returns to the bread and butter requirement of playing for points after two weeks dominated by Cup Competitions.

A healthy contingent of players from the first team was in evidence at the side of the pitch cheering on the Reserves as they, eventually, saw off the challenge of Brockworth Albion’s own Reserve side last Saturday and, hopefully, this will have engendered an enthusiasm to return to action that will have relegated the agonies of the 7-1 defeat against Longlevens to the past. Sharpness provide both the opposition and the venue as the first team re-engage in Northern Senior League action, both of which will replicate the circumstances in which the firsts took their leave of the Northern Senior League Cup in August. Back in the late Summer, the home side proceeded to the next round courtesy of a 2-1 victory, in which MOM Neil Bermingham scored our only goal. 10 days later, on August 30^th, the firsts won 4-2 at home to Wotton Rovers in the opening League match of the season and this was the last time that the side scored in the League. Admittedly, only two games have been played since then, both of which were very narrow, 1-0, defeats but the side will be keen to rediscover the scoring touch that brought four goals without reply in the first half of the inaugural NSL match of the season. They will have to do it without the aforementioned Neil Bermingham, however, who is still sidelined with the injury that he picked up in the match against Longlevens two weeks ago and so Ben Norman and Dan Woods are drafted into the squad

The Reserves, meanwhile, make the short trip to Uckington to take on Cheltenham Civil Service’s second team. Civil Service were relegated from Division One last season, finishing one place above Northway, who spent all season firmly routed to the bottom thanks, as much as anything, to the deduction of 12 points, and four points behind Andoversford Nomads and safety. They have made a slow start following their return to Division Two, taking just two points from their opening three games, all of which were away, before losing at home, 3-1, to Northway and then beating both Northleach Town & Lydbrook Athletic Reserves, 4-0, in their last two outings. It would seem, then, that our near neighbours have got on to something of a roll as the weeks have progressed, although the form side of the Division, at the moment, is Star FC Reserves. Goals may have been hard to come by in the typhoon that was blowing at Bishops Cleeve last Saturday, when all aspects of the goal frame were struck until Jamie Roberts finally won the tie with a goal in the 106^th minute but, before the cup break, the team had notched 23 goals in it four League games to date. The major change in the squad this weekend is the loss of Mark Hallett to a knee injury but Nick Charlton comes straight in to make his debut.  Former manager Mark Cottell is also added to a squad that retains the services of Stefano Pucello, last weekend's Man of the Match

The third team returned to League action last weekend, of course, when they ended Tewkesbury Town Reserves 100% start to the season with a 3-3 draw at Tewkesbury School. Even so, the side will have been disappointed to come back round seven bends with just a point, as they were leading going into injury time at the end of the game. The sides management duo will have been delighted with the team’s goal haul since belatedly getting into the action at the end of September, with the total standing at 10 in the three games played so far, but they will also, presumably, be concerned that, at the same time, 8 have gone in at the other end. Falcons Reserves provide the opposition at Bishops Cleeve this weekend and they have had their own problems as the season unfolded. Priors Farm provided them with their home venue last season, their first after joining the League, but some playful young scamps decided, at the beginning of September, that the best thing that they could do to demonstrate their community spirit and to lend a hand in improving facilities at the playing fields at the end of Whaddon Road was to drive a truck into the side wall of the pavilion. This has put the place out of commission and necessitated a move to Naunton Park Rec for the team that has won once – 2-1 against Gala Wilton last weekend – and lost the other two of its first three games of the season. Last season, we prevailed in both games, 6-0 at home almost a year ago and 4-2 in the return last March. The thirds also find themselves without their regular 'keeper but the vastly experienced Matt Hall is a more than able deputy for the absent Brian Watts between the sticks whilst Rich Gill and Robin Cook, for the first time this season, are also added to the squad.