Recruitment vital for Town’s title challenge

HEAD coach Paul Davis is confident that with three or four new players, Stratford Town could be league champions next season.

And he admitted that he was enthusiastic and passionate about building a side that would be challenging at the top of the Southern League Premier Central table.

Stratford’s 2-2 draw at St Ives Town on Saturday along with results elsewhere meant they finished just outside the play-off places for the second year running.

And with an eye on how play-off rivals Harborough Town were doing, Davis was able to take a look at some of those on the fringe of the first team.

He explained: “It was a mixture of tired legs and me having a look at a few people to get a head start on next year with the results being the way they were elsewhere.

“We were doing our bit but it turned out that Harborough were 3-0 up in 25 minutes against a form team so that ship had sailed.

“The motivation was still there to finish on the same amount of points as last year and to keep another clean sheet - to concede 42 goals in 42 games would have been pleasing.

“But in the last 15 minutes players who are some of the fittest in the league were dead on their feet. To play four games in a week was just too much in the end so we succumbed in the end.

“We lost Josh Hawker in the warm-up and we took Aaron Lacey off at half-time because I’d told Oxford United that if we were out of it then it was what we would do so that he could play against Luton at Kenilworth Road on Monday night.

“We had a young lad who has been playing at Daventry and training with us, Archie May, so it was an opportunity for him and we could have another look at Jack Burgess.

“Me and Jed had a conversation about a month ago about recruitment, it is the most important thing to get tight.

“The fortunate thing we have at Stratford is that players like to be here, they are on good deals and hopefully by the end of next week we will have some retained lists out.”

Looking ahead, Davis outlined where he thought the squad needed strengthening.

“We haven't scored enough goals and that’s the reason we’ve not got into the top five or gone one better and won the league,” he added. “When our top goalscorer has 12 goals, it’s not going to get you into the top five.

“This is the most important time of the season so if we get this bit right then the rest of it will come. We have a very good coaching crew but we need to get the recruitment right and retain the players we want to retain. It will mean that Stratford Town FC will be the place to be next season and I’m enthusiastic and passionate about that. The last time I managed to build a team with the chairman we got to the first round proper of the FA cup.

“I don’t think there is much wrong with the squad, they have gone very close for the last two seasons. That means the group isn't quite good enough but with three or four extra players then the group could go on and win the league. We certainly don’t need a complete reset.”