Swans up for a late 25/26 promotion run. NPTFC 7 Yaxley 0

Today, Newport pagnell faced higher placed Yaxley, currently 13th in the United Counties Premier South league. Since Gary Flinn’s reappointment at the swans following a disappointing period at Leighton Buzzard, not a lot has happened. Winner of the 2022 FA vase and runners up to Ascot Utd in the 2023 FA vase tournment, everyone has high expectations for Flynny but to date not a lot has happened. A quick exit from the 2026 FA vase and a below mid table position in the Counties Premier League South is a bit disappointing. There is still time for the Swans to get back into the promotion race and they will need to close the current wide gap beteen where they are now and the promotion zone. Today was a big test, if they could defeat Yaxley then maybe with a run of more wins they could make it for a serious stab at promotion. With still quite a few of the 2022 players in the team, such as Adam Pryke Jake Watkinson and Ben Ford, on paper, a late push for promotion looks potentially possible. . In, the first five mins, the swans came out fighting. creating most of the attacking play in the Yaxley end. However an early Swans free kick and corner failed to produce an early lead.

Swans line up for today’s clash with Yaxley in blue.

Until three mins later, Jake Watkinson got a connection to a high ball pass in the Yaxley penalty area and the swans were one nil up with a dream start to their promotion chasing aspirations. Today Brackley’s home match with Solihill was postponed with a water logged pitch. The Swan’s Willen Rd ground being close to a flood plane is prone to water logging but today’s match was given the go ahead following an early pitch inspection. However, it did not stop it raining almost soon after the referee blew the kick off whistle. By the end of the first quarter the Swans continuedto hold onto their early lead and dominate most of the play. On first apoearance, it looks like Flinn has done his groundwork for the Swans and they are looking a pretty good side both in defence and up front. The side he has developed since his return is looking both solid and exciting. If they are unable to win some silverware this season, they look likely to achieve more next season and give more good times for the fans. In the 27th min, all of this was confirmed when Corvell Pickering connected with another high pass into the Yaxley area to make it 2-0. In the third quarter of the first half, it started to rain more making it wetter, slidey and more unpredictable on the pitch. With the cold penetrating rain, the play turned into trench warfare as the swans started to swim in the rain again, create more opportunities and seek out a third killer goal. In the 35th they got a free kick close to the Yaxley end which nearly went in. There was no Yaxkey counter attack play and all they could do was try to hold on, not concede to Newport’s onslaught and hope things would come better for them after a half time rest. In the final five mins for Yaxley, any possession theymanaged to hold in the swans end was effectively dealtt with by a very solid swans defence adding to their frustration. In the final min of the first half it all looked like the Somme in the rain for Yaxley as Pickering scored his second goal to make it 3-0. Heavily wounded, all Yaxkey could do was hope there would be no more casualty goals by half time. However more death and destruction followed with Watkinson also getting a second to make it 4-0 in the 45th min. Shortly thereafter the referree blew the half time whistke. With such a wide scoreline and killer rout, the players must have wondered wherher it was worth fighting another half in the rain and mud?

The only good thing going for Yaxley in the second half was the easing off of the rain.

A trickle of early second half opportunities came to nothing, as the Swans won three early corner kicks and two early shots at goal which looked like they were out to deliver more of the same. The first quarter of the second half was again more play to the Swans . The rain stopping looked more likely to help Yaxley as they were more able to focus on the ball as they struggled to try and get sime influence on the match. Newport brought on three early subs to Yaxley’s two. The substituions appeared to have no bearing as the Swans continued to hold onto their 4-0 lead. In the final half hour , the flood gates opened for a second time with Watkinson and Pickering both scoring again to earn a hat-rick a piece for the match and Ben Ford netting the ball to make it 7-0. If the Swans can play like they have played today and keep good form consistency up to the end of the season, maybe the United Counties Premier League , South Division might be theirs for the taking, afterall?

212 attendance