WOODLEY UNITED boss Michael Herbert insists Penn and Tylers Green remain the favourites for the Hellenic Division One East title as the two prepare to do battle on New Year’s Eve.
Victory over Sandhurst Town on Saturday kept Woodley second in the table, five points behind leaders Penn and Tylers but with three games in hand ahead of the blockbuster clash over the festive period.
Herbert’s charges continued their brilliant league form with a 10th win from 11 games thanks to Josh Drew’s solitary strike against the Fizzers at the weekend.
And with Didcot Town Reserves preparing to come to Rivermoor on Boxing Day (3pm), Herbert insists focus cannot turn to Penn and Tylers just yet.
“Obviously with it being Boxing Day, you’re going to have people away,” the Woodley boss told The Wokingham Paper.
“That’s really made me focus on the Didcot game because we’ve got to work out what’s best for that.
“We don’t want to go into that Penn and Tylers game having dropped any points because we know we’re in a good position if we go into that game having done that.”
He added: “They (Penn and Tylers) are definitely the favourites for the title.
“They won it last year and they’re a team that should be in the Premier Division.
“Obviously their facilities don’t allow them to do that but they’re a very good side and it’s a really good test for us.
“We’ve got to be at our very best week in, week out to try and catch them.
“We’ll do our best.
“Them and (third placed) Headington Amateurs are definitely the favourites but we’ll keep doing what we’re doing and see where it takes us.”
Woodley followed up their 1-0 league win over Sandhurst with another shut out on Monday night, this time in the form of a 2-0 cup success against FC Beaconsfield.
An early goal from Liam Wilson set the much changed team on their way before Charlie
Oakley added a second and despite an Oakley penalty miss, Woodley move into the Berks and Bucks Intermediate Cup quarter-finals against Great Horwood next month.
That clean sheet was the third Woodley have kept in the last four matches and it is United’s mean defence which has been characteristic to their success so far, something which has not gone unnoticed by Herbert.
“That’s what I mean when I say all the lads have got a good attitude,” said the boss.
“You can put it down to the back four and the goalkeeper, which most people do, but we defend really well as a team.
“The two wide players work really hard, Charlie up front works really hard and the lads in midfield work really hard.
“The whole team knows what each other is going to do and that really, really helps.
“Obviously goals win games but clean sheets win leagues so hopefully we can keep going in that vain.”
And given the success in the cup, Herbert is convinced that having a few players missing over the next couple of weeks will not affect the results on the pitch.
“There’s a few people away but not too many actually,” he said.
“The commitment from the boys is really, really good.
“We’ve got our reserve team as well and we kind of train as one squad rather than two separate teams so it gives me plenty of options.
“Some of the reserve lads will step in and they’ll do a great job, there’s no problem about that.”
He continued: “I quite enjoy having the fixtures over the Christmas period.
“I know some people take their family time over Christmas more seriously than others but for me I really enjoy it and I can’t wait for the game on Boxing Day.”
