Brackley look to build on fine opening-day win

The Brackley Town players celebrate Twariq Yusuf’s late winner at Chorley. Picture by Brian Martin

Kevin Wilkin was understandably delighted after Brackley Town made an impressive winning start to the new Vanarama National League North season.

Despite a fractured pre-season, which saw the Saints squad having to isolate for 10 days following a positive Covid-19 case in the camp, they started the new campaign with a fine 1-0 success at Chorley last weekend with summer signing Twariq Yusuf coming off the bench to bag a late winner.

Wilkin’s team had been due to take on Darlington in their first home league game of the season this Saturday but that has now been postponed due to Covid-19 cases in the Quakers squad.

However, Brackley will have a game at the weekend, albeit on the road, as they will now head to Alfreton Town whose original fixture was also postponed due to Covid-19 issues in the Leamington squad.

And Wilkin is hoping his team will be able to build on their terrific start at Victory Park last Saturday.

“I was really pleased,” Brackley boss Wilkin said.

“Historically, we haven’t done particularly well at Chorley. It’s a difficult place to go for any club. They were very consistent last season and obviously had that good run in the FA Cup but the result and the manner in which we set about our work after an interrupted pre-season was especially pleasing.

“I wouldn’t say we were great in the first half but in the second half it was only us and we never really looked in any danger.

“In recent seasons we have been very slow starters in the league and haven’t got the points we would have expected.

“It takes a dozen games for things to settle down and take shape but to go and get three away points at any stage of the season is big and to go and do it on the first day of the season gives everybody reason to believe.

“No manager wants to be chasing that first win, I have been there many times.

“Now we have it, it’s just important we consolidate those three points.

“No games are easy but it’s a fantastic start and it gives us a solid base to build on.”

Wilkin, meanwhile, was delighted to see two of the summer arrivals play key roles in the winning goal at the weekend.

The move was started by Louis Lomas, who joined the club following his release from Norwich City, and was eventually finished by frontman Yusuf.

“You can look at where we won the ball, which was on the edge of our penalty area, and the pass forward from Louis was great and he set the move up,” Wilkin added.

“Lowey (Matt Lowe) has done great to get down the sides and get the ball across and for Twariq to come off the bench and score was great. He worked hard to get into the moment and it was a great goal to decide the game.”