2013-14 UCL REVIEW

DIVISION ONE: RECORD BREAKING SEASON FOR OADBY

After narrowly missing out on promotion in their first season of UCL football, Oadby bounced back with a record breaking campaign earning them promotion to step 5 while claiming a host of new bests along the way.

Eynesbury, who had also played their part in an enthralling 2012-13 title race, also booked a promotion place twelve months on with Harrowby also getting the nod to step up after a third place finish in only their second season back in the league. The Poachers took over top place early in September and were never headed again. They started the season with a 17 match unbeaten run, and after losing under the Burton Park floodlights in November, went through their remaining 24 matches without defeat. Their goal tally of 159 was the highest across the country in the National League system and just one shy of a league record, while their points total of 109 set a new high for any division of the league. Oadby’s blend of youth and experience made them a class apart in the section and they clinched the title with four games to spare, Jack Lane’s goal of the season contender at Northampton Spencer giving them the vital three points on 8 th April. The Poachers then went on to complete the season with the only unbeaten home record in the division and an eleven point margin of triumph. Rovers had the better of the two meetings of the pair with a home draw and away win, but as the season reached the business end there was little between the two. At the end of March Harrowby held a ten point advantage from four matches more, but the season’s final month saw Eynesbury make light of a heavy fixture programme to win all nine remaining games and overhaul their rivals for promotion. Northampton Spencer had a busy end of season after again suffering a host of mid season postponements, but nonetheless secured a top four finish with near neighbours ON Chenecks also enjoying a good campaign to finish sixth. Three new clubs were making their bow in the league, and they enjoyed varying degrees of success. Lutterworth Athletic, transferred from the East Midlands Counties League, made a bright start with ten wins in their first twelve matches, but were unable to match the consistency of the top three, falling away to finish a very creditable fifth in the table. St Neots Saints also started well and earned plenty of plaudits for the quality of their football, but a 42 match campaign proved a little too testing for their youngsters and they ended the season ninth after failing to win in their last eight outings. The runners-up place was contested by Eynesbury and Harrowby with neither out of the top three from September apart from a four day spell in November when St Neots Saints slipped above the Arrows.

Peterborough Sports were unbeaten in their first four matches, but as the season progressed they struggled for consistency and ended the campaign in a disappointing 16 th position.

Woodford, forced to seek demotion on the eve of the season due to illness which forced their manager to quit, had another campaign to forget. Personnel changes in the dugout and on the pitch hardly helped and their only highlight was a 2-1 success at Blackstones in their thirteenth match which brought them their only points of the season. The battle to avoid the second re-election place involved Lincolnshire neighbours Blackstones and Bourne, with Bugbrooke also battling for survival. Both Stones and the Badgers finished the season well leaving the Wakes ten points adrift in 21 st place.

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