Barnwood United are flying high at the top of Division Two of the Northern Senior League.

Their 3-0 win at Harrow Hill on Saturday – their 10^th in 12 games – stretched their lead to eight points, although second-placed Falcons have played one game fewer.

“It’s going really well,” said club secretary Michael Bollands. “We’re scoring goals and not conceding many, both areas of the pitch are doing very, very well.”

They are preparing to host mid-table Painswick at Coopers Edge on Saturday, having already scored 37 goals.

They boast a goal difference of 26 and their only reverse came at Frampton United Reserves in mid-September when they lost 4-2.

They have also drawn a game and manager Craig Salter is obviously delighted with the way his team have reacted after the disappointment of last season.

“We missed out on promotion by one point,” continued Bollands. “We drew our last game at home to Lydbrook Athletic 1-1, if we’d have won that we’d have gone up.”

But while losing out to Staunton & Corse for the third promotion spot was a blow, Bollands, a former player who has been involved with the club for 30 years, can see plenty of positives.

“That disappointment has spurred us on,” he said. “We’ve had a few additions and while it’s always gratifying to win promotion, there’s nothing like winning the division.

“The aim is to get promoted this season and to do it the correct way.”

That means going up as champions, of course. And it's fair to say that it's not just the flagship team who are in a good place, the club as a whole are, too.

“We’ve signed a 25-year lease at Coopers Edge sports hub, that’s a life-saver,” said Bollands, who manages the club’s reserves. “We signed it in June, the club are going in right direction.”

The reserves play in Division 4(N) of the Stroud League and the newly-formed 3rds are top of Division Six after winning their first eight games.

The club also have a number of youth sides and Bollands said they may run a ladies’ team next season.