Welcome back to the latest part of our mission to discover just how good a bunch of players with unlimited potential can become. So far, we made a late surge in our first season to secure the Division Three title making two additions to the squad on the way with our overall weakness appearing to be paper gloved goalkeepers. We have started life in Division Two quite successfully, but the goals and assists have become much more tightly dispersed and some players struggle with the step up. You can catch-up on our latest season from the beginning here.

Here is a customary reminder of where we left off last time out with some fellas from an Abbey chasing our behinds:

Our defence (barring ‘keepers) has been much improved on last season, which is a great testament to Bing, Marco, Duarte and Remco’s progress. There’s a long way to go and international call ups could yet scupper our season.

Drum roll please…guess who’s Bak, Bak again, Allan’s Bak tell a friend! Crisp packet hands gives Chesterfield hope but it was futile!

This year is an enigma. Drummond has not been delivering like last year, but his ratings are much better…4 goals in 23 a striker is not.

“Juan Juan he loves a ban, 3 games off down the pub and then a spray tan.” The Argentinian minus man gets himself a quick bath.

Just as we pick up some momentum (get on a roll?) the CM9798 gods come a calling.

Dennis comes back in to supply Gnasher for the visit of Blackpool but the end of night lights belong comfortably to the Wonderkids.

The lads over at the Abbey remain firmly on our tails however, we would appear (with a 15-point gap to 3^rd) to be in a two-horse race.

Three cheers for Ramirez! We’re through to the 4^th round of the FA Cup as Newcastle’s old guard couldn’t keep us down.

It’s the hugely anticipated game of the season in the quarter finals of the football league trophy with a big reveal as you finally get to see our away strip (probably for the first and last time). It was a comfortable win as Bisgaard missed a number of sitters.

That’s quite the set-back, fair to say he’s been schaafted.

We make a meal out of Oldham (yes, I’ve sunk that low) but Roll is now out for a while at a critical stage.

Curtolo makes a scoring return, then gets injured too.

Lauchlan see’s Curtolo and raises him an ankle.

Let the south, see the end. Ramirez is in exceptional form at this stage of the season.

When the dog bites, when the bee stings when I’m feeling sad, I simply remember my favourite things, then I don’t feel so bad. My favourite things include playing Brentford for bee related puns.

Next up we’re off to that London for an FA Cup appearance. We had 20 shots but Mike ‘Leaps Like a Salmon’ Salmon kept the score down to a respectable 2-0 to us! We’re in the hat!

The draw is unkind. The replay is settled, we’ll face Klinsmann.

We are regretfully through to the area finals of the Football League Trophy. Exeter taken apart 3-1.

Next up its Bristol City who are a top 6 side. We get over the line just about.

It’s those sneaky blokes from an Abbey, 1^st vs. 2^nd winner takes top place.

We bring on the big guns on half-time and reap the rewards. Almeida makes up for his penalty giveaway in an entertaining 88^th minute.

We pass through Pompey and West Brom add a minus man to their ranks.

The FA Cup arrives and a disallowed goal in the 89^th minute for Ramirez leaves us reeling at what could have been.

York come out the blocks and for a moment I’m worried we’ll be the moon boys. It all comes right in the end.

The replay is on us, and it’s another case of disallowed goals. This time two Parry efforts chalked off. We almost made it to extra time.

Dreams killed by a liquorice allsorts mascot and Klinsmann, assisted by everyone’s favourite, the linesman. And with that it feels like a good time to break from the action. We’re sitting pretty at the top and we have the joy of the Windscreen Shield to look forward to also.

We’ve got 5 players on 10+ goals again and I’m hoping we can now start to give more game time to some peripheral members of the squad like Yuri Rose, Ulrik Balling and David Curtolo.

A number of players are out on loan getting vital game time but Schaaf won’t play now until October, a cruel way to stem his development which was well on track. See you next time!