Hardwicke Rangers Yellows look to make it 11 wins on the spin in the Under-17 Division of the Cheltenham Youth League on Sunday.

The table-topping team have a perfect record of played 10, won 10 this season and are well placed to claim their first ever league title.

“We’ve come close,” said manager Ryan Clarke. “We’ve won a few cups but never a league.

This is their first season in the Cheltenham League. Last season they were in the Severn Valley Youth League – they won the League Cup – and they are clearly enjoying themselves in the new set-up.

“It’s a bigger division, we wanted a different challenge,” said Clarke. “I’d say the standard is slightly higher.”

They play host to Charlton Rovers Blues at the weekend in what looks certain to be an entertaining game. Rovers are another high-flying team who have won seven and lost one of their eight league games, a run of form that has taken them into the top three.

Remarkably, there is another team in the 15-strong division – Perdiswell Colts – who have won all their games, although they have played one game fewer than Hardwicke.

It all adds up to a mouth-watering second half of the season and Hardwicke will be hoping that Max Thompson maintains his wonderful goalscoring form as they chase that elusive title.

He’s scored 38 in the league this season and Clarke said: “It’s a ridiculous number.

“He joined us halfway through last season and we saw straight away how good he is.

“He’s a massive bonus for us. He’s big, strong and powerful; he’s got pretty much everything.

“He’s got a rocket of a left foot, if he shoots on goal he scores nine out of 10.”

And Hardwicke’s style of play clearly suits him.

“We try to play an attractive style of play with the ball on the deck, but sometimes we do mix it up,” continued Clarke. 

“We try to play on the front foot and put teams under pressure. We try to force them into making mistakes and then punish them.”

Clarke has been coaching the team for the past 11 seasons.

“I began with them right at the start and seven or eight of them have been there all through,” said the 26-year-old. “When I was 16 I decided I wanted to coach.”

Clarke is also a player for Hardwicke Rangers although injury has restricted the amount he has played in recent times.

Perdiswell Colts, meanwhile, travel to sixth-placed Redmarley Blues on Sunday.