Yaxley boss insists his improving side can pull away from trouble, big game at Feldale Field for Whittlesey Athletic

Yaxley manager Andy Furnell is confident his side will pull away from the Northern Premier Midlands Division relegation scrap in the second-half of the season.

The former Posh striker is not yet getting carried away despite three wins in their last four matches for the Cuckoos, culminating in a superb, and dramatic, 3-2 FA Trophy win at higher-level Lowestoft Town on Saturday.

Their reward is a tough first roun tie at Isthmian North Division leaders Canvey Island.

Goals from on-loan Posh youngster Hameed Ishola and Matt Sparrow overturned a half-time deficit in Suffolk, but an equaliser from the penalty spot five minutes from time which led to a red card for Tom Waumsley looked to have swung the tie back in the homes side’s favour.

But the 10 men went straight down the other end and won the game through Liam Hook.

“That win just showed what we are capable of producing,” Furnell enthused. “But I want to see it more often before I get carried away. We were brave and played an attacking 4-4-2 at Lowestoft. We didn’t get a kick for half an hour, but once we gained a foothold in the game we started to exploit them. We’ve had horrendous availability issues all season and they are still with us. We won at Histon in our last league match and then lost both centre-halves for the game at Lowestoft. But I am confident we will improve as the season wears on. That’s what usually happens to us. The bottom two go down in our division with the two above them going into play-off games so we need to avoid the bottom four and we are currently just above that. We can finish even higher. There are some good sides the league, but there are also many teams we can beat.”

Yaxley hope to have centre-back and captain Ross Watson back this Saturday (November 6) when they host Belper in a League match (3pm).

Stamford AFC hist Wisbech Town in a local Northern Premier Midlands match on Saturday, while Spalding United host leaders Halesowen.

It’s fourth v second in Thurlow Nunn Division One North as Whittlesey Athletic host Sheringham at Feldale Field (3pm).

NON-LEAGUE MATCHES

Saturday, November 6

Southern League

Premier Division Central: Needham Market v Peterborough Sports.

Northern Premier LEAGUE

Midlands Division: Spalding v Halesowen, Stamford v Wisbech, Yaxley v Belper.

United Counties LEAGUE

Premier Division North: Heanor v Pinchbeck. Leicester Nirvana v Holbeach, Loughborough Students v Deeping Rangers.

Premier Division South: Peterborough Northern Star v Rugby.

Division One: Bourne v Lutterworth, Graham St Prims v Blackstones.

THurlow Nunn LEAGUE

Premier Division: March v Thetford.

Division One North: Framlingham v Parson Drove, Whittlesey v Sheringham.