OCTOBER PREVIEW: Busy Month Ahead as We Look to Reset and Refocus

As October arrives, we face an busy schedule of seven fixtures, featuring four matches at Waterside Park and three on the road. Following a frustrating recent run of results, the squad is fully focused on hitting the reset button, finding consistency, and putting points on the board.

This is how October shapes up across league and cup action:

Ardley United

We kick off against one of the league’s standout form teams. Ardley currently sit top of the table having taken 15 points from their last six matches, suffering just two defeats all season. Defensively, we will need to be at our absolute best to contain their firing frontline, led by top scorer a familiar face Marcus Mealing on 9 goals and George Cowmeadow on 6. Marcus is not the only face supporters will recognise, their assistant manager is FA Vase winning Gavin James.

Bracknell Town

We pause league action to welcome Bracknell Town to Waterside Park in the Berks & Bucks County Cup. This marks our first meeting since 2022 during our Step 4 days and a season that saw Bracknell earn promotion to Step 3. Bracknell are a solid step 3 team with quality throughout their ranks, it promises to be a fantastic cup tie and a great benchmark for our squad.

Hilltop

Hilltop visit Waterside Park having experienced a mixed bag of results so far this term. Currently sitting 11th in the standings, they are a dangerous side capable of testing anyone on their day.

North Leigh

North Leigh have endured a challenging start to the campaign and currently sit bottom of the table. However, as we can testify, league positions mean very little, every match is a battle, and we will treat this fixture with total focus.

Kidlington

A tough test awaits against a high-flying Kidlington side. Having enjoyed a strong opening block of fixtures, they currently occupy a playoff spot and will arrive with momentum on their side.

Northwood

A familiar opponent from our Isthmian League days, Northwood have had a similar start to the season as ourselves. With both teams seeking to build momentum, this one promises to be a tightly contested affair.

Rayners Lane

We round out the month against a Rayners Lane side that has struggled for early traction, collecting just two points so far. Much like our trip to North Leigh, we know better than to underestimate a team looking for a turnaround.

We know recent results haven't reflected the effort the lads are putting in, but October gives us a chance to respond.

See you on the terraces!