Frome Town have only won one match this season, but they did take a point from high flying Basingstoke at home on 12th October in a 1-1 draw. In their last match they went down 2-0 to table toppers Gloucester City, but according to their manager Danny Greaves they were by no means over-run, and they were in the game pretty much until the final whistle.
We last played The Robins in the 2018/19 season when they were relegated, along with Staines and Basingstoke, after finishing in 21st place, whilst we finished in the top five. They won promotion back into this league last season by beating Bristol Manor Farm 3-1 in the play-off final on 6th May in front of an enthusiastic 2235 crowd.
Perhaps Frome can be given a little time to adjust to this league again, but just the one point from their first five home fixtures is not what they would have been hoping for. They find themselves in 20th place in the table (P11 W1 D3 L7 6 points) and conceded 21 league goals so far.
Manager Danny Greaves has moved to bolster his midfield by signing the promising Rex Mannings from Vanarama National League South outfit Chippenham Town. He progressed through the Bristol City and Oxford United academies and returns to Badgers Hill where, between 2018 and 2022, he became a firm favourite among the fans. A creative left-footed player, Rex has since spent seasons at Bath City and Weston-super Mare before sealing a move to the Bluebirds over the summer.
The next two matches are huge for us and we will need to start scoring the goals that will earn those much-needed points. All is not lost yet however, as we sit in 8th place in the table (P11 W4 D4 L3 16 points) and still very much chasing the leading pack. We have only lost one of our opening five away matches.
Enjoy the game,
Neil Wellington.
