Farmers have a safe pair of hands at last

Two sides whose stock appears firmly on the rise come face to face this weekend at the UEA sports ground, when Earlham Colney take on Dancing Farmers in Division 4A.

At the end of last season Farmers played AFC Mousehold in a match designed to see who was the worst team in the league, but nine months on they now sit proudly in third spot.

Phil Gray, the club secretary, said: “The big difference this year is that we now have a very good goalkeeper in Paul Stebbings.

“Last year we had to take it in turns because we just didn't have one and Stefan Harris-Wright has also made a big difference at centre half."

With Steve Smith continuing to find the net on a regular basis, Gray is confident his side can hang on to third spot.

Mark Hood manager of Earlham Colney has seen his side struggle for three years and now hopes they have turned the corner.

"When I first played three years ago we were playing games with nine or 10 players and I think we were relegated without even getting a point. Now things seem to be coming together at last.”

With a mixture of young University students and experienced players like Neil Burridge, Hood has seen the club completely overhauled over those three seasons, and is hopeful of success in the near future. Other games this weekend see Wymondham Rangers go to Marlborough in the Premier Division and Norman Wanderers "A" go to Aslacton as the battle at the top of 2A steps up a gear.