Leamington connection boosting Daventry promotion bid

New signings James Husband and loan striker Will Green could be the final pieces in the jigsaw for Town manager Darran Foster after the pair masterminding last Saturday’s 2-1 win over Barton Rovers as second half substitutes.

Man-of-the-match Husband was little short of a revelation. He scored the 73rd minute equaliser against 10-man Rovers and then continued to rip the home defence to shreds.

Green too was a livewire up front as ninth-placed Daventry moved to within three points of the play-offs with five games or more in hand over Division One Central’s top handful of teams.

Then on Tuesday Daventry moved back into the play-offs places when defender Ollie Wilkinson volleyed home the only goal of the match at Potters Bar on a night when league leaders Rugby Town were held to a 1-1 home draw by Aylesbury United.

Green had scored on his debut for Daventry in the 5-1 friendly win at Wellingborough last week and his big,bustling approach should help to bring out the best in Luke Keen and the enigmatic Ashley Robinson.

Husband who recently celebrated his 29th birthday, made 293 appearances for Leamington and scored 43 goals. At Daventry he has linked up again with jack-of-all-trades Josh Blake who was himself a living legend at the Warwickshire club.

Blake scored 187 times for Leamington in 406 appearances and has proved to be a model professional at Communications Park when playing in almost every position from left back to right winger.

Green meanwhile has moved to Browns Road on a month’s loan, but is fully expected to see out the rest of the season in Daventry after beginning his career as a Northampton Town academy player.

Further spells followed at Bedford Town, Oxford City, Banbury United, Brackley Town and finally Leamington for the Greens Norton-based lad, while Husband started his footballing career with Tooting & Mitcham.

Airbus UK of the Welsh League and Stratford Town also feature on the CV of a talented player who will make life difficult for Ryan Howell once he returns from holiday on the ski slopes.

Influential central defender Marcel Simpson is also due to return soon after injury for a Daventry side which has now done the double this season over Aylesbury, Northwood and Barton Rovers.

Catching league leaders Rugby Town could prove problematical, but second place remains up for grabs following a fourth recent defeat for ill-disciplined Dunstable who had another player sent-off during Saturday’s 4-0 drubbing by Slough.

Kettering Town remain the dark horses though, despite upsetting most of their rivals by making big-money signings so soon after successfully launching a ‘Save the Poppies’ campaign.

The Town have still to meet Kettering on two occasions, whilst the home games against Slough and Dunstable could yet prove crucial in the search for Southern League promotion at the fourth time of asking.

This Saturday, Daventry Town entertain AFC Hayes at Communications Park (ko 3pm).