BRACKNELL Town FC look set to return to Larges Lane later this month, writes Dave Wright.

The fast-rising Robins have moved up to fifth place in the Uhlsport Hellenic League following their 3-0 win at Brackley Town Saints on Saturday.

They trail leaders Thatcham by 12 points with six matches in hand on their rivals.

And they face the table-toppers on Saturday, November 19, which, if all goes to plan, will be their first game on their new 3G surface.

Work on the ground is gathering pace with the installation of the carpet, along with the floodlights, pitch surrounds and changing rooms.

But it will be early March before the clubroom, bar, car park, main entrance and turnstiles will be fully operational.

Playing on a flat, true pitch certainly suits Town, as they have shown in their last two league matches at Royal Wootton Bassett, where they won 6-0, and again at Brackley last weekend.

They managed only three on Saturday, but it could so easily have been more against the side they had beaten 9-0 at home just 10 days previously.

“It was a matter of staying patient, that was the key to our victory,” said manager Mark Tallentire.

“Obviously, they had set themselves up slightly differently to when they came to play us, as they got a shape and stuck to it. They sat back and made it difficult for us to get into pockets of space.

“However, we were pretty much in control for the whole of the proceedings and did create a few good opportunities which we didn’t take.

“But we didn’t give up and kept doing the right thing, keeping the tempo high, and in the end were rewarded with a couple of pieces of quality just before half-time.”

Joe Grant made the breakthrough on 40 minutes and four minutes later TJ Bohane curled in a free-kick to make it 2-0 at half-time.

The young Saints side – their oldest player was 20 – came more into the game in the second half without ever really looking like pulling back the two goals.

Tallentire added: “I thought we got caught between the devil and the deep blue sea. We looked as though we didn’t quite know whether to go and win the game by a bigger margin or just keep possession and see time out.”

Town’s third goal came from full-back Dave Hancock three minutes from time.

The Robins boss added: “In all, I was really pleased with that performance. We looked pretty tight at the back and didn’t concede hardly any chances, so it was really pleasing to keep a clean sheet.

“This was one of our games in hand and so it was very important we got the three points.”

Bracknell are on the road again this Saturday when they travel to Gloucestershire to play Tuffley Rovers, the side immediately below them in the table (3pm ko).

They will be without skipper Carl Davies and goalkeeper Chris Grace, who are both suspended following their red cards in the FA Vase defeat at Croydon.

Then next Tuesday evening (7.45pm) they take on Holmer Green in the quarter-finals of the Berks & Bucks Senior Trophy at Sandhurst’s Bottom Meadow.

The winners will be away to either league rivals Flackwell Heath or Highmoor Ibis in the semi-final.