Grant Joshua hopes for more as Lye hit front of title race
Boss Grant Joshua wants more of the same from his table-topping Lye Town side.
The Midland League Premier Division leaders ascended to the summit with a 2-0 victory over Boldmere St Michaels on Saturday.
And having taken over from Boldmere, Lye are now the team to be shot at when they travel to Whitchurch Alport tomorrow (3pm).
“We’ve just told our lads to do exactly what they have been doing for the past six or seven games,” said Joshua. “We’ve got a lot of competition for places so it gets very tasty in training and we like that edge.”
Lye go into the game on the back of four consecutive clean sheets in the league and Joshua hailed his backline.
“The back five and our goalkeeper, bar Hanley, is probably the best in the league,” he said. “That’s our base. We don’t concede many goals and we will always score – we’ve got goals in the team from all different areas.”
Just below Lye, second meet third in a huge Midland Premier clash, with second-placed Lichfield City at home to Tividale.
Either side could end the weekend on top of a congested division with a victory of their own and dropped points for Lye.
Three points currently separate the top eight, and three further back from that group in ninth and 10th are Walsall Wood and AFC Wulfrunians.
Harry Harris takes charge for the first time as Wood host league favourites Hanley Town, who boast a host of former Football League players – including ex-Stoke and Blues man Ryan Shotton, who is still only 32. Wulfs travel to seventh-placed Romulus, while other games in the division include Racing Club Warwick v Bewdley Town, Shifnal Town v Stone Old Alleyians and Stourport Swifts v Uttoxeter Town.
Cradley Town face a tough task at Midland One leaders Atherstone Town, while Bilston Town Community play host to second-placed Stapenhill.
Dudley Town are in the mix with those pair in third and welcome mid-table Paget Rangers this week, with other games being Dudley Sports v Ashby Ivanhoe, Khalsa Football Federation v Wednesfield, OJM Black Country v Wolves Sporting and Shawbury United v Darlaston Town 1874.
Alex Curtis takes charge of his first Brocton game in North West Counties League Division One South against high-flying New Mills, while Eccleshall host Maine Road and Stafford Town take on Stockport Town.
