The Ducks are bound to bring a larger than average travelling support in the league next season which will be good to see, whether or not they will be able to mount a decent Championship challenge will be evident after a few months of the new season.
Aylesbury FC, Known at The Moles, were the early pace setters in the league winning eight out of their first nine games. Two surprising defeats at home to St Margaretsbury (0-1) and away at Biggleswade United (3-2) before another eight game unbeaten run (seven wins and a draw) and their only other defeat prior to Christmas in a 0-3 loss at home to Harefield United. Only three games were played in January due to the bad weather but with only three more defeats for the rest of their campaign (Kingsbury London Tigers at home 1-2, Dunstable Town 4-1 away and Langford's 1-2 victory on the last game of the season at Haywood Way when they had already been crowned Champions) showed they were the best team in the league. In the space of 3 days at the beginning of April the club took part in two amazing games winning 9-0 at home to Kentish Town and then going one better avenging the earlier defeat to Biggleswade United by thrashing the visitors 10-0.
Their run in the FA Cup also caught the headlines when they reached the 4th Qualifying Road by beating Langford, Leighton Town, Erith Town, Wingate and Finchley and Chesham United before unluckily going down to Ryman Premier Wealdstone 2-4 in front of a crowd of 682 at Haywood Way. The achievement looks even better when you look at the fact Leighton Town, W&F and Chesham United are all in leagues a step above Aylesbury. They also lifted the Premier Division Cup by defeating Hanwell Town 2-1 thanks to two goals from top scorer Craig Henney who hit the back of the net an incredible 54 times in all league and cup games, a feat which included seven hat-tricks for the former Prestwood, Holmer Green and Aylesbury United marksman.
The nearest challengers to Aylesbury were Chalfont St Peter (88 pts), Tring Athletic (84 pts) and Royston Town (84 pts). The Saints were top-scorers in the league with 121 goals but sadly missed out on the title due to the amounts of games they lost particularly at the beginning of the season. Three defeats in late October and early November was followed by a league record of 18 wins, 4 draws and only 2 defeats to the end of the season. This record can be glossed with the fact the two defeats were in the last two games of the season. Chalfont's record would of won them the league title in 2008/2009 and they have now come extremely close to title glory in the last three years by finishing 2nd, 3rd and 2nd.
The Cold End expects all three teams to be pushing for the title next season in particular Chalfont St Peter if they keep their side together during the summer. The Crows of Royston Town had a superb season back in the Premier Division with their impressive 4th placed finish. Garden Walk had the highest average attendance at 140 with the league's top crowd of 231 attending their game versus Welwyn Garden City which they won 8-0. Royston were 2nd top scorers in the league with 118 goals. In league and cup competitions seven players got into double figures on the goal scoring front with Ryan Lockett (ex of Cambridge United, Bishops Stortford and Boreham Wood) top of the list with 21 goals.
Other clubs in the top half of the league included Colney Heath who were right in the thick of things losing only three of their opening twenty games, two of these were against Aylesbury and Chalfont St Peter. A run of six defeats in ten games then stemmed any hopes the Magpies had of winning the league title.
Harefield United, runners up to Biggleswade Town by a single goal at the end of the 2008/2009 season ended up in sixth position with Dunstable Town below them in eight place. Dunstable freshly relegated from Step 4 will want to have a better season for the 2010/11 campaign.
At the bottom of the table Welwyn Garden City had a terrible season with only two games won in the first eighteen games. One of these games was the local derby versus their then tenants in Hatfield Town. The game was won 2-0 but overshadowed by the fact Welwyn were found to have played unregistered players and were subsequently deducted the 3 points they won by the Spartan South Midlands League.
Manager Paul Faulkner who had taken over at Herns Lane from Steve Newing and Del Deanus left the club in early October. Phil Reid took over the managerial reigns but The Citizen's remained rooted to the bottom of the table with a season to forget for their supporters especially the home defeats to Dunstable Town (0-12) and Chalfont St Peter (2-9). Probably their best result of the season came on the final day with a 0-5 away win at Hillingdon Borough.
Second from bottom were Brimsdown Rovers who were considered as one of the pre-season title favourites with the impressive squad of players Justin Molesey had put together at Goldsdown Road. Who would of thought then that Brimsdown would of merged with Enfield 1893 FC and joined the Essex Senior League for 2010/11?? The new club is now simply known at Enfield 1893 FC with it being reported that the Brimsdown Rovers name will be incorporated into the name of the new club for 2011/12 season.
In summary another eventful season in the Spartan South Midlands League with some great goals, great games and talking points. Roll on 2010/11!!
FACTS AND FIGUES FOR THE 2009/10 SEASON
CROWDS
HIGHEST - 231 - Royston Town V WGC (31/10/2009)
LOWEST - 11 - Kingbury London Tigers V Broxbourne Boro (16/03/2010)
BEST AVERAGE - 140 - Royston Town
WORST AVERAGE - 26 - Kingsbury London Tigers and Kentish Town
GOALS
MOST SCORED - 121 - Chalfont St Peter
MOST SCORED HOME - 62 - Royston Town
MOST SCORED AWAY - 68 - Chalfont St Peter
LEAST SCORED - 48 - Biggleswade United
LEAST SCORED HOME - 19 - Brimsdown Rovers
LEAST SCORED AWAY - 16 - Hertford Town
WINS
MOST OVERALL - 28 - Chalfont St Peter and Aylesbury
MOST HOME - 15 - Chalfont St Peter
MOST AWAY - 15 - Aylesbury
LEAST OVERALL - 9 - Welwyn Garden City
LEAST HOME - 4 - Langford and Hillingdon Borough
LEAST AWAY - 3 - Welwyn GC, Biggleswade United and Kentish Town.
DEFEATS
MOST OVERALL - 28 - Welwyn GC
MOST HOME - 15 - Langford
MOST AWAY - 16 - Biggleswade United
LEAST OVERALL - 6 - Aylesbury
LEAST HOME - 4 - Aylesbury
LEAST AWAY - 2 - Aylesbury
DRAWS
MOST OVERALL - 13 - St Margaretsbury
MOST HOME - 8 - St Margaretsbury
MOST AWAY - 6 - Brimsdown Rovers
LEAST OVERALL - 3 - St Margaretsbury and Royston Town
LEAST HOME - 0 - Tring Athletic
LEAST AWAY - 0 - Hatfield Town
BIGGEST DEFEAT - 0-12 - Welwyn GC V Dunstable Town (20/2/10)
Great stuff, appreciate your efforts here - anywhere can I find a league table though? Am researching the history of Haringey Borough as am going to watch them in the morning and would like to find last season's league table (and further back, for as many leagues down the pyramid as possible, if possible).
ReplyDeleteCheers!
Jonathan