Balague: United have stopped the rot but need to strengthen

This has indeed been a roller coaster of a season, at the end of which our final league position will tell the story.

As the phrase has it, what can’t speak, can’t lie. Last season we finished tenth and I would sincerely hope that we can improve on that this time around.

But there have been many positives. On Tuesday on a dreadful pitch our first team squad containing no fewer than eight players that have graduated from our Under 23 side managed to halt our three league game losing run with a 1-1 draw at Leighton Town.

Progression through the ranks into the first team has always been one of the main objectives of everyone at this club and to see our plans coming to fruition in this department is heartwarming

In truth, however it was more a case of two points lost than one gained in a game that saw our opponents reduced to ten men for the last 20 minutes.

It certainly stopped the rot but a failure to win means that any hopes we might have harboured for a fourth place finish are now, failing a miracle, a dim and distant dream.

Once again we created a hatful of chances and once again we squandered them even contriving to miss yet another penalty.

By my reckoning that means - while I am unsure of the exact stats - this season we have missed from the spot far more times than we have punished our opponents’ penalty area misdemeanours.

We need to regain our confidence and finish if we can with two league wins and hopefully a trophy from our North Beds Charity Cup final match against Stotfold to show for our efforts this season.

We have been planning for next season for some time now and what is clear is that we need to stengthen our side in certan areas and much of the close season will now be concentrated on trying to do precisely that.

Trials at all levels have already started and we are also looking to bring another three clubs into our academy.

We don’t have a match this weekend but we go again next Tuesday (kick off 7.45pm) when we visit London Tigers for our penultimate league game of the season.

We need to finish on a high note and regain some of the pride, passion and commitment that we have shown on many occasions this season, not just for our loyal band of volunteers, fans and sponsors, but more than anything else for our own pride and self esteem.