With three games played and three defeats recorded it's not the best start to the 17/18 campaign for Downham Town. Pre Season has been disjointed to say the least with players being unavailable due to work and holiday commitments. So with such a small squad of players to choose from the first team have had to rely on reserve and U18 players and despite the more inexperienced players giving good accounts of themselves manager Pav Guziejko and his assistant Paul Hawes knew that it was going to be impossible for those players to learn their roles and responsibilities within the team in such a short space of time. The playing philosophy adapted by Pav and Paul over the last 18 months is an ongoing process and so combined with the players adapting to this it brought some success for the club last season.

With key players becoming available it'll be good to get some points on the board and give the younger inexperienced players a little more time to be gradually introduced to step 6 and adult football. This is an important process as Downham Town rely on loyal local talent to keep the club competing in the Thurlow Nunn and Anglian Combination leagues.

Pav and Paul are looking for an upturn in fortunes over the coming weeks so with only a battling 3-2 defeat at highly fancied Whitton Utd to show for their effort (when Downham deserved something from the game) the club's position at the wrong end of the table is hopefully temporary. And with a tough looking local derby at Swaffham on Friday night those illusive first points will have to be fought for and earned.