Yaxley have become the team the big guns fear to face

Manager Andy Furnell believes Yaxley FC have become the team the big guns fear to face.
Dan Cotton.Dan Cotton.
Dan Cotton.

The Cuckoos delivered a stunning 1-0 win over second-placed Berkhamsted in their Southern League Central Division One clash at the Decker Bus Stadium last weekend.

But Furnell was one of the few who wasn’t shocked by the scoreline. Long-serving Dan Cotton struck the only goal of the game 15 minutes from time and five minutes after Yaxley goalkeeper Aaron Butcher had been sent off for handling outside his area.

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“We have a great record against the top teams,” Furnell enthused. “We beat Berkhamsted twice last season and we had already beaten top sides Thame, Coleshill and Dunstable this season so I was not at all surprised by the result.

“Berkhamsted were though. They turned up having lost once all season and having scored the most goals in the division expecting to roll over little Yaxley.

“But we were the better side throughout. We should have been 2-0 up before Aaron was sent off and even after he’d gone we created the better chances and thankfully Dan Cotton converted one of them.

“The big teams need to fear us. The better the opposition, the better we are.

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“We are now 10 points better off compared to this stage of last season and there is no way we will go down. Staying up is our priority, but we will keep plugging away and we are not going to rule out a run to the play-offs.

“That might be wishful thinking, but you never know and we do tend to finish a season strongly.”

Yaxley have another tough game at fourth-placed Aylesbury United tomorrow (December 14) when Furnell will be without Cotton and Butcher.

Young James Blake could play in goal.

Peterborough Sports, the Premier Division’s team of the month for November, have slipped back into mid-table in a tight division ahead of a game at lowly Leiston tomorrow.

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Leiston were crushed 8-1 by Sports at the Bee Arena earlier in the season, but they recorded a big win of their own last Saturday, 6-0 at Redditch.

And there’s a huge game at the Zeeco Stadium tomorrow when table-topping Stamford AFC host third-placed Cleethorpes in the South East Division of the Northern Premier Division.

FIXTURES

Saturday, December 14

SOUTHERN LEAGUE

Premier Central Division: Leiston v Peterborough Sports.

Central Division One: Aylesbury v Yaxley.

NOTHERN PREMIER LEAGUE

South East Division: Spalding United v Kidsgrove, Stamford AFC v Cleethorpe, Wisbech Town v Chasetown.

UNITED COUNTIES LEAGUE

Premier Division: Cogenhoe v Pinchbeck United, Peterborough Northern Star v Desborough, Sleaford v Deeping Rangers.

Division One: Blackstones v Holwell, Saffron Dynamo v Bourne Town , Whittlesey Athletic v Burton Park Wanderers.

Eastern Counties LEAGUE

Division One North: Cornard v March Town.

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