Improving Gordon League are looking to start the new year in the same way that they ended 2025.

Three wins on the bounce lifted them up to ninth in the 12-team Counties 1 Western North  and they could climb up to seventh on Saturday if results go in their favour.

Gordon League travel to Chard, who are one point and one place above them, while seventh-placed Old Redcliffians 2nds, who Gordon League beat 25-20 in their last game before Christmas, travel to Gordano.

Old Redcliffians are three points ahead of Gordon League and they, like Gordon League and Chard, have won four and lost seven of their league games.

Gordon League’s record is more impressive than it may initially appear because they didn’t gain their first win until the start of November when they overcame Bridgwater & Albion 26-22.

They followed that up with wins at Chosen Hill (14-12) and Taunton 2nds (42-25) as well as at home to Old Redcliffians last month, and long-serving club official Alan McMahon said: “It’s all going well, we’ve turned it around after a poor start to the season.

“We’ve got a couple of important players back in the forwards and we’ve blended in a few of our Colts into the backs, that’s really helped us.”

They lost 36-23 at home to Chard back in September, one of five defeats at the start of the campaign that also saw them lose 87-24 at Dings Crusaders 2nds.

But head coach Jake McMahon’s side bounced back from that heavy loss with a hard-fought Counties 1 South Plate win over Chosen Hill the following week and 14 days later they got their league campaign up and running with that victory over Bridgwater.

“We were worried at the start of the season,” admitted Alan McMahon. “We don’t want to drop out of this league.

“It’s a good, competitive league with a good fixture list although you don’t know who you’re going to be playing against when you play the 2^nd teams, that is an issue.

“But if you drop out of the league it’s very hard to get back in because only one team gets promoted.”