Town play the head-to-head game at the top

FOOTBALL: Mini-round robin for Thatcham New manager for Newbury

THATCHAM TOWN and Bracknell Town go head to head in a clash of the Hellenic League big-hitters at Waterside Park on Saturday.

And a week on Tuesday night they face a similar challenge when Highworth Town visit Thatcham in a re-arranged league match on October 3. In between, Town have a trip to Abingdon United next Tuesday.

The Bracknell and Highworth challenges are against two of the remaining unbeaten teams in the league, and although Thatcham are currently fifth in the Premier Division table, their cup commitments have left them with a game in hand on Bracknell and two on Highworth with gaps to make up of four and nine points respectively.

Bracknell ended Flackwell Heath’s unbeaten start last week, but have played only three times away from Larges Lane so far this season, dropping their only point at Highmoor Ibis early in the month.

They can perm from any of three prolific strikers in Seb Bowerman, Jon Bennett and Adam Cornell, although all trail their former colleague Shane Cooper Clark in the goal-scoring stages, the Thatcham hitman having 10 goals to his credit this season.

Highworth have put together a squad packed with experience from higher leagues, including target Ashley Edenborough, midfielder Ross Adams, top scoffer Callum Parsons, lured from Swindon Supermarine, and recent signing Nick Stanley from Evesham United, the former Oxford City and Hungerford midfielder.