Boss Matt Angell on Windsor & Eton's 'testing but pleasing' start to the season

Windsor & Eton beat Langley 5-1 away on Saturday. Photo credit: Richard Milam

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Windsor & Eton have enjoyed a ‘testing but pleasing’ start to the season and sit top of the early Combined Counties League 1 standings after hitting Langley for five on Saturday before battling their way to all three points against Bedfont on Tuesday night.

Matty Angell's Royalists were only promoted into the tier six division this season but having recruited well over the summer - signing players 'with experience of the level and the level above' - they look to be able to compete for promotion once again.

Whether they can sustain their challenge over the course of a long and gruelling season remains to be seen – and injuries are already mounting up. But Angell is delighted they've got off to a flying start and aren't in a position where they're having to play catch up after a hectic early schedule.

Six games in and they already have 15 points in the bag, having dropped points only once in a disappointing 1-0 defeat to Oxhey Jets. But they've shown the depth of their talent in recent weeks, sweeping aside Chalfont St Peter 3-0 at Stag Meadow before hammering Langley 5-1 away at the weekend.

On Tuesday evening, they had to show the other side of their game as they battled to victory with Oli Bach setting up goals for Ash Howells and Sean McDonnell in a gritty 2-0 win at Bedfont.

Those results have taken them top of the table on goal difference from Penn & Tylers Green into this weekend's double header at Yateley on Saturday and home to Windsor FC on Monday.

“Pre-season was really good and we’ve recruited really well,” said Angell. “Players with experience of the league and the league above.

“We’ve also changed. We’ve let go of about 10 from last year but we helped those players find other clubs and some of them are playing at step 5 now at clubs like Sandhurst. That’s great to see for them.

“We’ve also needed depth of our squad in this league because the games have felt relentless. We’re going to end up playing nine games in August. It’s so many. September’s schedule is also hectic and with cup competitions in August and September we’ll end up playing 20 games.

“We played 25 games last season so it’s a big change. We’ve needed a bigger squad. We’ve got 28 in total in the squad. You can have five subs, but our squads having to change, and we’ve picked up some injuries to some notable players. We’re already missing somewhere in the region of eight or nine players.

“It’s been really testing but also pleasing in other ways. We’ve played some good football, but we’ve also played some battling football where we’ve dragged out a result, like we did last night (at Bedfont).

The support of Windsor & Eton’s fans will also be crucial this season, with Angell saying they’ve been like a ‘12th man’ at times this season. Those fans will be relishing the prospect of Monday's clash with Windsor at Stag Meadow – with Windsor FC having been unceremoniously turfed out of the ground last year when the Crown Estate handed a new long-term lease to the newly established Windsor & Eton. Angell is keen to reflect their 'passion' for a derby win, but he's currently not looking beyond Saturday's clash at Yateley.

“It’s going to be a tough ask over the weekend because you’re playing two games in three days. Hopefully we’ll have some players back and one or two new signings. It will be about rotation this weekend,” added Angell.

“In Monday’s derby against Windsor, they’ll have had one extra day’s rest because they are playing on the Friday night.

“You never know what you’re going to get when you play Windsor. I’ve watched them a couple of times and in one game they had eight Beaconsfield players playing, and I’ve then seen them in mid-week when they’ve had very few Beaconsfield players.

“It’s very tough to judge what we’re going to come up against. For the fans it’s a very important game. I want to approach it with that passion but we’re taking things one game at a time now.

“We’ll carry on trying to clock up some wins. If we can get wins on the board early, it can set you up for a good season. If you have a bad August and September, you’re really chasing your feather, and you can put yourselves out of the equation. We’re very fortunate to have the support that we have.

“They’ve followed us massively in our games so far. We outnumbered Langley’s support by 75 per cent on Saturday and at most away games we have more support than the home team has. It’s a real big thing for us, it’s like having a 12th person pushing us on.”