18/10/2026
THE MANAGER’S VIEW
Northfield Town 1–0 Chelmsley Town
A performance full of character, quality and commitment – but ultimately another defeat.
Yesterday was probably our best away performance of the season.
An absolute full-on display that contained everything you need to compete, to excel and to give yourself the opportunity to win a game of football.
The only problem was that we came up against a very, very good side who also did everything they needed to do to secure a 1–0 victory.
Our form of late hasn’t been good enough. I’ve spoken about that openly and honestly in my post-match comments over recent weeks. However, yesterday we gave a real demonstration of what we can be, who we want to be and, more importantly, what the better versions of ourselves look like.
Conceding early could quite easily have seen us collapse again. I think there was probably a fear amongst everyone that this might turn into another afternoon where one goal quickly becomes two, three or four.
But it didn’t.
Instead, we showed real strength of character, played on the front foot and took the game to a very good Northfield Town side.
And I want to give Northfield Town enormous credit. They’re a good football club, with good players, good people and a really good balance to everything they do.
Interestingly, over the two games we’ve played against them recently, I genuinely believe we’ve produced two of our best performances.
People will look at the 3–0 defeat at home and question how we could possibly have played so well. Yet yesterday, losing just 1–0, people will naturally assume it was a much closer contest.
The reality is that our performances in both games were excellent.
Sometimes certain teams cause other teams problems, regardless of their respective league positions or form, and I think we’ve certainly given Northfield Town plenty to think about over those two games.
Did we do enough to win yesterday? No, I don’t think we did.
Did we do enough to deserve a draw? Possibly, but I’m not entirely convinced.
Clear-cut chances were limited and Northfield Town took the one really good opportunity they created.
But what pleased me most was that we were genuinely in the game throughout.
We made them defend. We pushed them backwards. We forced blocks, last-ditch tackles and moments where they had to work extremely hard to keep us out.
Our shape, our system, our attacking threats, our substitutions and the collective understanding of what we were trying to achieve caused them problems all over the pitch.
And defensively, for the first time in quite a while, we seemed to have answers to the questions being asked of us.
It was the complete, all-round performance we’ve been searching for.
We’ve seen bits of it in recent weeks. A good half here, 70 minutes there, spells of really encouraging football followed by moments where everything seems to unravel.
Yesterday, those individual pieces finally came together.
Of course, producing a complete performance doesn’t automatically mean you get a result. Particularly when you’re facing a side with the quality Northfield Town possess.
And let’s be clear, Northfield Town didn’t play poorly yesterday. We simply made life difficult for them, limited their opportunities and asked them different questions.
They showed us a lot of respect, and I thought it was a really good game of football between two sides giving absolutely everything.
We came away with our heads held high.
And right now, that’s something we can take genuine encouragement from.
FINDING OUR WAY AGAIN
We’re on a bit of a journey at the minute, trying to rediscover exactly what we’re about.
There’s been an awful lot going on behind the scenes over recent weeks. Far more than I want to discuss publicly, and certainly more than people probably realise.
There’s been noise, questions, demands and challenges coming from all sorts of different directions, and some of those things are still ongoing.
On a personal level, I’ve found it really difficult at times, and I’m not afraid to admit that.
I also know the players have found things difficult.
So to see everyone together yesterday, to have Waggy and Gaz available again, to have a strong 16-man squad and to produce that level of performance was genuinely pleasing.
It felt like we were beginning to look like ourselves again.
That’s not to suggest everything is suddenly right, because it isn’t. We still have plenty to work on and plenty to improve.
But yesterday felt like a step in the right direction.
INDIVIDUAL PERFORMANCES
There were some really encouraging individual performances, although I genuinely believe every player deserves recognition for their contribution.
Josh, who has joined us on dual registration from Knowle, made his first league appearance for us, having previously featured in another fixture, and I thought he was excellent operating in the number six role.
Dan Scott, Taggart and Henry were solid for long periods, although unfortunately we lost Dan through injury.
George was excellent again at right-back before moving into the centre of defence, where he continued to perform really well and helped us see the game out strongly.
There were plenty of other positives across the pitch, but something else that really pleased me was the attitude and impact of our substitutes.
In recent weeks, we haven’t always had the options available to change things in the way we’d have liked.
Yesterday we did.
And being able to make those changes, introduce fresh energy and continue taking the game to the opposition demonstrated the importance of having genuine strength on the bench.
The attitude of those players, their willingness to contribute and the impact they made were all hugely encouraging.
POSITIVES ARE IMPORTANT – BUT POINTS ARE ESSENTIAL
We’re not going to be naive about where we are.
We can take all the positives we want from performances, but ultimately we need more than encouraging displays.
We need points. We need results. And we need to start winning football matches.
That’s the reality.
However, I do feel yesterday showed that we’re beginning to get ourselves back on track.
The challenge now is to build on it rather than allowing it to become another isolated good performance.
We’ll train on Thursday, hopefully have a really positive session and prepare ourselves for another difficult fixture away at saffron next weekend.
They’re in a good place themselves, coming off an excellent victory and enjoying some decent form.
But there’s not a single easy game in this league.
We know that better than most.
The important thing is that we go there with the same attitude, application, togetherness and belief that we showed yesterday.
If we can do that consistently, then hopefully the results will begin to follow.
A FINAL WORD OF THANKS
Finally, I want to thank everyone who travelled yesterday.
We might not travel in our masses, but the people who do follow us, week in and week out, mean an awful lot.
They’re family, friends and people who genuinely care about this football club, our performances and our results.
That support never goes unnoticed, particularly during difficult periods.
I also want to acknowledge the people working alongside me behind the scenes.
The management team, our committee members and, in particular, Waz Keeley, Gary Danks and Kevin Wagstaff.
Your help, loyalty, commitment and willingness to keep giving your time and energy to this football club are unwavering.
I probably don’t say it enough, but it is hugely appreciated.
Football can be difficult. Running a football club can be even more difficult. And sometimes the challenges away from the pitch are every bit as demanding as those on it.
Having good people around you makes an enormous difference.
So thank you.
Yesterday was another defeat, and that hurts. But it was also a reminder of what we’re capable of when we’re together, organised, committed and prepared to work for one another.
Now we have to turn those performances into points.
Up the Chembo! 💙🤍
