Stroud United are looking to make it a magnificent seven when they host Kings Stanley Reserves in Division Three of the Stroud League on Saturday.

The early-season pace-setters have opened up a five-point gap after winning their opening six games, scoring 30 goals and conceding just six.

“I’ve got a good bunch of players who like to play football in the right way,” said Stroud player/manager Joe Hill Pemberton.

“We’re quite attacking, we believe that attack is the best form of defence, we like to push a lot of players forward.”

And it’s a style of play that is certainly working because they are in their first season in the division after winning promotion last time out.

They finished second to Dursley Town Reserves, who are their nearest challengers this season, and Hill Pemberton said: “We lost the title to them on the final day of the season when they beat us 3-2.”

Stroud won 17 and drew two of their 24 games last season and Hill Pemberton has been delighted with the way they have started the current campaign.

“I suppose I am a bit surprised but I expected to be up there near the top,” said the 38-year-old holding midfielder, who is targeting another promotion.

“I want to go as high as we can. I always set my sights on Stroud League Division One but there are some people at the club who are aiming higher than that, the Northern Senior League.

“We’re definitely moving in the right direction.”

Hill Pemberton, formerly with Leonard Stanley and Brimscombe and Thrupp, has been with the club for the past six years and is in his fourth season as player/boss, although because of Covid this is only his second full season in charge.

The club’s supporters will be hopeful that they can add another three points against bottom-of-the-table Kings Stanley Reserves on Saturday, although that may not be as easy as it appears as the visitors are only propping up the rest of the division because they have had six points deducted by the league.

They’ve actually won three and drawn two of their six league and cup games this season and Hill Pemberton, a maths teacher at Pittville School in Cheltenham, warned: “They are in good form, they’re a decent team, it’s going to be tough.”