Calor League Division One Central Review 2013/14
With the dust having settled on the last games of the campaign and the playoff finals, here is our review of the Calor League Division One Central season and a look at the fortunes of all 22 teams.
AFC Hayes Position: 18/22
A very disappointing second half to the season saw Hayes win just four games, enduring a nine-match losing streak that saw them slide down the table from their comfortable 12th place in January. Off the pitch was also traumatic with three of their players suspended for breaches of betting rules in December. The return of 2012/13 top scorer Tony Mendy for the final third of the season helped, and he weighed in with 7 goals.
Ashford Town (Mx) Position: 22/22 (Relegated)
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With just six points to their name at the turn of the year, it always looked a tough ask for Ashford to avoid the drop, and so it proved as the Tangerines' stay in the Southern League came to an end after four years. Manager Ben Murray, who stepped up in November, oversaw some improved performances and a six-game unbeaten spell in March as the club ultimately closed the gap to third bottom North Greenford United to five points, but it was too little too late and Ashford will likely be placed in the Combined Counties League next season.
Aylesbury FC Position: 16/22
The appointment of Steve Bateman brought about a much improved second half to the season including a ten-match unbeaten run and the completion of a league double over town neighbours Aylesbury United, and although the upturn arrived too late for the Moles to climb into the top half, supporters were given fresh optimism that next season the club can achieve greater things.
Worst result: 5-1 home FA Cup defeat by Shortwood United
Aylesbury United Position: 12/22
A steady mid-table finish, the club's best since 2009, marked a decent season for the Ducks, who finished third out of the five newly promoted clubs in the league. Some inconsistent displays and a squad badly affected by injuries at various points of the season affected their ability to finish higher, but some excellent cup results - beating three Premier Division sides over the campaign - were highlights.
Barton Rovers Position: 6/22
One of the surprise packages of the season, Barton were ultimately left disappointed not to have qualified for the playoffs having topped the table and spent four months amongst the top three before eventually being edged out of fifth place by Slough Town. Still an excellent job done by Dan Kennoy in his fourth season in charge, and he will be looking to push on further next season.
Beaconsfield SYCOB Position: 8/22
Taking over on the very eve of the new season, manager Gary Meakin did a good job in making Beaconsfield SYCOB into a side just on the outside of playoffs, capable of beating anyone on their day but also just as capable of some poor results. The Rams were also County Cup runners-up, narrowly beaten by Chesham United in the final in April.
Chalfont St. Peter Position: 14/22
Manager Danny Edwards's 10th season in charge of the Saints was another steady and safe finish in the Southern League, although inconsistent Chalfont never won more than two games in a row.
Chertsey Town Position: 21/22 (Relegated)
The predictions of Chertsey's struggles came true, with the Curfews third season in the Southern League ending with relegation (although they had already resigned from the league), but an improved second half to the season saw them collect sixteen points and not finish far behind North Greenford United.
Daventry Town Position: 4/22
Pace setters for much of the season, and with long cup runs under their belts as well, the sheer volume of games eventually caught up with Daventry as their season capitulated in spectacular style. Three league defeats to close the season saw them throw away their title-winning position, followed by playoff defeat by Northamptonshire rivals Kettering Town meaning another season at this level beckons.
Dunstable Town Position: 1/22 (Promoted as Champions)
Daventry's collapse set up a four-way Championship battle on the final day of the season, and Dunstable duly held their nerve to beat Uxbridge and make it remarkable back-to-back Championships after winning the Spartan South Midlands League with an unbeaten record a year earlier. The Blues the completed a league and cup double by beating Cirencester Town (the South & West Division winners) in the Southern League Championship to complete their fantastic season.
Egham Town Position: 11/22
The reigning Combined Counties League Champions made a comfortable step up to Southern League level, with some decent results along the way, including the key 4-1 beating of Daventry which contributed to them losing out on the title. 19-goal striker Ryan O'Toole was a key signing, but his strike partner Reis Stanislaus outgunned him to take top scorer.
Kettering Town Position: 3/22
A storming end to the season had Kettering finally being talked about for the right reasons, following a dramatic season off the pitch. The Poppies went on a rampant nine-game winning streak to take third place in the league, then see off Daventry in the playoff semis, before throwing away a two-goal lead to lose 3-2 to Slough Town in the final. It means another season in the Central Division for Kettering, who will undoubtedly be amongst the title favourites come August.
Leighton Town Position: 19/22
With resources in short supply, Aylesbury's landlords endured a dire start to the season - having to wait until mid-October before their first win. It lead to a brief upturn and November saw the Reds enjoy their best month, but, further weakened by the loss of leading scorer Ben Gallant to Rugby Town, just three wins since the turn of the year meant Leighton were unable to move further up the table.
Marlow Position: 17/22
Having made a decent start to life back in the Southern League, the Hellenic League Champions second half to the season was something of a disappointment, and encompassed a run of ten games without a win before a return to form and a 7-2 thrashing of Northwood. Some interesting transfers, both in and out, saw Jon Bennett hit great form with 33 goals after joining from Ascot United at the end of September, whilst talented midfielder Ben Gladwin was snapped up by Football League side Swindon Town.
North Greenford United Position: 20/22
After a promising start to the season began to go drastically wrong, manager Neil Shipperley, the former Chelsea striker, stepped down in January, and his replacement - former reserve team manager Paul Palmer - had to wait two months for his first win in charge. When it came, it was soon followed by two more in the month of April as Greenford did just enough to avoid relegation this time around.
Northwood Position: 9/22
Under the management of former Aylesbury man Mark Burgess for his first full season, Northwood had at times looked set to challenge for the playoffs before finishing a solid 9th place, but early cup eliminations from the major competitions will have been a disappointment. The emergence of a number of talented youngsters, including 43-goal partnership Nico Muir and Nico Muir, bodes well for the future though, and with a few new faces Northwood could well push on next season.
Potters Bar Town Position: 15/22
Transferred from the Ryman League to Southern League in the summer, Potters Bar opted for youth (in managerial terms) when Adam Lee resigned in October, replacing him with rookie 23-year old Jack Friend, and with ten wins from his 28 games in charge and a final finish of 15th, the club ended the season in a stronger position than when he took over.
Royston Town Position: 7/22
The end of the Crows' season was something of an anti-climax, as a campaign which started so well - Royston challenging at the top end of the table with only one league defeat up to November - ended in a seventh place finish, a full ten points off the playoffs. Manager Steve Castle replaced the long serving Paul Attfield, who stepped down due to health and personal reasons in October, and now has the summer to get an underachieving and allegedly expensively assembled squad heading back in the right direction.
Rugby Town Position: 2/22
Runners up for the second year in a row, Rugby were pipped to the title by just one point after the end of day battle, but didn't make the playoff final on this occasion after a 0-3 semi defeat to Slough Town. Striker David Kolodynski once again topped the league scoring charts, and if manager Dave Stringer can keep him at the club then fans will be hoping that Town can finally return to the Premier Division after what will be their fifth season at this level next time around.
Slough Town Position: 5/22 (Promoted via Playoffs)
The Slough board's decision to replace Steve Bateman in the summer with a new management duo of Neil Baker and former Aylesbury defender Jon Underwood has paid dividends, as the two lead Slough to promotion at the first time of asking, coming from two goals down to beat Kettering Town 3-2 in a dramatic playoff final. As a result, the Rebels will play at the higher level for the first time since relegation from the Ryman League Premier Division in 2007.
St. Ives Town Position: 13/22
The last of the newly promoted sides, St. Ives have had a solid, if unspectacular, season - their first at this level, with their form up and down over the campaign. The loss of top scorer Dubi Ogbonna - moving to Kettering earlier in the season - was a blow, but Avelino Vieira took over the scoring mantle, with Karl Gibbs and Jon Stead also finding the net regularly in 2014.
Uxbridge Position: 10/22
Tony Choules' side were in 15th place at the turn of the year, but have enjoyed an excellent 2014 and went through all nine games of March unbeaten, racking up eight wins in the process and with plenty of firepower at his disposal, Uxbridge had the fifth best scoring record in the division. An otherwise good season was crowned with silverware, the Middlesex Senior Charity Cup lifted after a 3-1 win over Wembley FC.
