How is Division Two of the Stroud Football League shaping up this season? The Local Answer’s ‘Man in the Know’ gives his verdict.

“There have been a few surprises in this season's Division Two, with the form of Longlevens 3rds being the most remarkable.

“Currently sitting on top of the table, Levens 3rds were reconstructed in the off season with the bulk of their new players coming in from their under-16 side.

“The new team have been ultra-offensive and have won seven of their nine games, scoring an impressive 35 goals.

“Rodborough Old Boys sit just behind them with two games in hand having lost just once so far, albeit a 5-0 rout at Longlevens.

“Rodborough were one the pre-season favourites to go up and continue to perform to that standard as they press for a place in the top division.

“Playing a mixture of their home games at Ebley and at Nympsfield this season, it will be interesting to see if they can continue among the pace-setters.

“Cam Bulldogs Reserves have continued last season’s impressive form and are currently third. Having beaten Rodborough in the Charity Cup earlier in the season, they put down a significant marker. Their next two games are away to Rodborough and Minchinhampton, and four or six points from these two games will mark them down as serious promotion contenders.

“Two more of the surprise teams lie in fourth and fifth. Eastcombe's late turn of fortune last season saw them escape relegation and that form has rolled over to this season with more or less the same squad.

“A tough team to beat, Eastcombe are one of only two teams to remain unbeaten away and had what now appears to be a very impressive 8-4 win over Longlevens in August.

“Tibberton have added to their squad this season and the results of the Newent-based team have been highly impressive.

“Their 5-2 demolition of pre-season promotion favourites Minchinhampton, made all Division Two teams sit up and take notice. A narrow 3-2 loss to Rodborough signalled that that performance was not a one-off.

“Quedgeley Reserves make up surely the last of the realsistic promotion hopefuls. Early-season pace-setters having won their opening four games, Quedgeley have struggled in their last four games against teams in the top half of the table.

“With Charity and County Cup games over the next two weeks, they need to get back on the winning track otherwise the season may be a long slog.

“Didmarton and Sharpness Reserves sit in mid-table at the moment. Both teams are capable of getting a result against any other team in the division, but inconsistency means that anything better than a mid-table position is difficult to forecast.

“Both teams are much stronger at home and will need to improve ‘on the road’ to force their way into the promotion mix.

“Bush, who play at Cheltenham League Shurdington Rovers' ground, sit in ninth place and are always a tough side to play. Five of their eight games this season have been drawn or settled by a single goal.

“They face Quedgeley Reserves at home in a Charity Cup quarter-final on Saturday and have their eyes on a place in the final in April.

“Trident will play the winners of the Bush v Quedgeley match at the semi-final stage and currently sit just below both teams in the division.

“A slow start to the season saw them lose their first four games, but things improved following the first of two 4-4 draws in September.

“There followed a loss to Longlevens in the County Cup but only on penalties and a recent 2-1 win over Cam Reserves has signalled that the Gloucester-based team are looking up the table rather than over their shoulders.

“Another big surprise this season has been the poor form of promotion favourites, Minchinhampton.

“Minch struggled with the loss of key players and a key suspension to Jack Hornsby. Further losses of players to Stroud Harriers were mitigated by bringing in the Stonehouse duo of Haydn Murray and Nat Buckland to take over the management of the team from club stalwart Mark Cox.

“After a slow start, results did improve but a shock 3-0 loss to Longford last Saturday has undone a lot of that good work.

“That win by Longford has increased optimism around the Gloucester-based club who have struggled over the past two seasons.

“Losing every game other than a midweek win at home to Tibberton in late August, Longford had to postpone their reserve team fixture on Saturday due to a lack of players, which makes the win against Minch even more remarkable.

“The big question is, can Longford build on this and get themselves off the bottom of the table?”