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We got underway in the National League South after a four year absence, armed with a number of new players, and took on five opponents.

Ultimately, it was a really successful month where we not only had some terrific results but also picked up a couple of quality additions to the squad, as I left some room in the wage budget for those players who decide mid-season to lower their standards a little.

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Our first game of the season couldn't have gone any better, we hosted Hemel Hempstead and absolutely dominated them from start to finish, registering 25 shots and 14 on target. Louis Rooney scored from the spot to start us off, before Simeon Okoro's powerful header made it 2-0 at the break. Rooney added a second and then Andrew Neal really started twisting the knife when he made it 4-0. Rio Garside, a player returning to the club after a couple of years, scored a banger from range to make it 5-0 in injury time. I was really happy to see all of my front 3 getting on the scoresheet.


Our first away trip, all the way out to St Albans in Hertfordshire, ended up being a big success and we really should have kept a clean sheet. Rooney's first goal was a simple tap-in after Andrew Neal had done all the work to get through on goal, his second was a lot more impressive as he received the ball with his back to goal, then surged past a defender and slammed it with his opposite foot.


It was disappointing to lose our first game of the campaign, especially since it was home and I felt we were the better side. Louis Rooney's header equalised for us just minutes after they'd gone in front, but they very quickly answered back to make 2-1, all of the goals coming in a nine minute window. We signed a new goalkeeper Matt Turner for this game and I expected a big showing for a top player, but he disappointed.


Luckily we didn't let the defeat to Bath City keep us down, instead we travelled along the coast to Eastbourne and turned on the jets to win 3-1. They actually scored first, but we equalised in really strange fashion when their keeper let Dylan Crowe's throughball go through his hands, and then Louis Rooney added a couple more conventional finishes to give us a good gap. They had a man sent off just after half time, but we were pretty content to just take our two goal lead home.


This one was an absolute slugfest and a proper 'Great Escape' as far as we were concerned. We started the game really well, Okoro scoring off a deflected Rooney shot and then Rooney himself latching onto a Rio Garside long ball to make it 2-0 in under 20 minutes. Then in the fifteen minutes prior to half time, it was just an absolute onslaught and we shipped 3 goals, heading into the break losing. We couldn't find an equaliser for a very long time, and I thought it was over, until young backup right back Finn Tonks launched one into the box for Rooney to collect, round the keeper and nestle into the back of the net, nearly four minutes into injury time.

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It's been a great start to a campaign in which we were expected to be fighting to avoid relegation, but instead sit in 4th after the first month. Obviously really early days, and we're yet to play any of the big boys like the clubs above us (particularly looking forward to Yeovil), but to get 10 points from our first 5 games is just fantastic. Oddly we seem to be having the most trouble at home, clearly playing in front of 500 at Treyew Road is a daunting task!

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Rooney was at the club last season and I backed him in 100% to be our main man up front, and he's delivered in spades. He's the league Player of the Month with a phenomenal 9 goals in just 5 games, scoring a brace in every game but the loss to Bath City. He's had a couple of goals where he's made something himself but a lot have been finishing off great chances we've created which is really what his role is all about. Andrew Neal and Simeon Okoro have both been fantastic too.

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I've wound down the scouting department this season to save costs, but I'm still getting some quality players come across my desk and I picked up two more players throughout the month. Matthew Turner is a 21-year old goalkeeper recently released by Cardiff City who will instantly become my new number one, while Will Dawes was cut by Yeovil Town in the summer; he provides quality depth on both wings and scored twice in 18 appearances for Kettering Town in the NL North last year.

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We've got 6 games coming up next month, including our first game in the FA Cup. We'll be entering at the Second Qualifying Round, and I really want to make it to the First Round if we can. A somewhat unrealistic dream would be to shithouse it into the Third Round and get a PL opponent away, to reap in those gate receipts, but I think a First Round appearance is a realistic if somewhat daunting goal. In terms of the league fixtures, only Chippenham Town have started the season well so we have a real chance to keep picking up points here.