Two away games and one at home face the club’s three sides this weekend and, in their own ways, each represent a significant hurdle as the sides seek to define the course that the rest of the season is likely to take.

Since they met Longlevens in the Senior Amateur Cup back at the end of September, the first team have done exceptionally well to dispel the demons which the 7-1 defeat that was suffered that day must have allowed to develop. As with falling off a horse, the best thing to do for the damaged state of mind is to get straight back into the fray but even though the Firsts were denied this opportunity, enduring a blank weekend and the chance to cheer on the Reserves as they took 106 minutes to find a way past Brockworth Albion, they went on, the following week, to produce arguably their best performance since returning to Division One of the NSL when they beat Sharpness 3-1 away. Indeed, the team remained unbeaten throughout October, recording 7 points in the process, despite regularly falling foul of injuries and unavailability, at a time when sides with less spirit and resolve may have crumbled in the aftermath of an embarrassing cup defeat. Longlevens, meanwhile, have yet to lose in the League this season and sit on top of the Division having gleaned 22 points from 8 games, with the only points dropped being lost in the 2-2 draw against Ramblers in the very first game of the season. Last season’s visit to the other end of the Golden Valley resulted in a 2-0 defeat but it is safe to assume that our hosts this coming weekend are a different proposition this season. The Firsts, meanwhile, welcome Martin Collier back to the fold after a week away to help shore up the defence and Ben McHardie-Jones has been passed fit to resume his place in the squad as named.

The Reserves also head off to the other end of the Golden Valley bypass and face the prospect of a top of the table clash against Gala Wilton Reserves just down the road from the first team’s game. As we all know, the Reserves started the season like a train but the express, seemingly bound for Division One, pulled in at the sidings in the middle of October, as two consecutive defeats brought a 5 game, 100% start to the season to a shuddering halt. Fortunately, only one of these losses was in the League and after the first shoots of recovery were tentatively witnessed at home to Bredon Reserves three weeks ago, they started to bloom in Aylburton, of all places, where a patched up side booked themselves a place in the next round of the Junior County Cup with an excellent 3-2 win. The side followed this up with a 5-0 win over Dowty Dynamos last week, which suggested that things were, pretty much, back on track. Their opponents this week occupied second place until last weekend, when a 2-2 draw at Winchcombe saw them overtaken by Apperley & Tewkesbury Dynamos and Whaddon United Reserves. Gala Wilton’s only League defeat this season came in the opening game, when they lost 4-3 to Whaddon and the only points they have dropped at home were in the 2-2 draw with Dowty Dynamos at the beginning of September.  The Reserves, however, will be hoping to maintain their return to form and will retain the services of last weekend's dual debutants, brothers Steve & Shaun Piper, as well as benefitting from the return of Jordan Kontarines. 

The Third team, meanwhile, are the only side with a home game this weekend and they will be welcoming Sherborne Harriers to Cheltenham Road in the hope that they can break a sequence that has now seen the side draw each of its last 5 League games. In fact, bizarrely since the thirds only occupy 8^th place in Division 5, they are one of only three teams in the whole league that have an unbeaten record this season but the 10 points that have been dropped in the last 5 games may well come back to haunt them as the season progresses. Sherborne Harriers have not had the greatest run of results themselves recently, as the side has lost each of its last three games, including a 2-0 Primary County Cup defeat at Viney St Swithins which involved so much travelling they almost had to consider an over night stop. Since then, the team has lost both its League encounters 2-1, firstly away at Falcons and then, last weekend, at home to Apperley & Tewkesbury Dynamos III and Sherborne will, no doubt, be hoping to recapture the form that saw them not only go close to dumping a strong Viney St Swithins side out of the cup, but also score 4 goals in winning games against both Gala Wilton and Charlton Kings and, also, beating Cleevonians 2-1 at home. Almost anything but a draw will do for the thirds and as the squad welcomes back Guy Tyrell, Martin Reid, Graham Withers and the in-form Stefano Pucello they will be hoping that they will achieve this with their first League win during the course of the last two unbeaten months.