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      in 23 took Saints to the top to the   A  strong  run  in  the  FA  Cup  illumi-     peated the poor run of results there-  2018/19 saw Saints return to the
      pile where they became the target     nated  the  2012/13  season.  An  im-         after and fell away to finish sixth.  Isthmian League after 12 seasons
      for other teams’ top performances     pressive win at Carshalton Athletic           Still an excellent all-round season as  as football was restructured. An in-
      and it wasn’t until they were over-   earned a tie against Conference side          Tony Mendy secured top scorer hon-    consistent defence and a shortage
      taken by Aylesbury in the last  two   Bishop’s  Stortford. A  draw  at  Mill        ours in the division with 30 goals.   of goals ensured Saints were unable
      games that they had to settle for the   Meadow set up a replay that ulti-                     Poor signings               to escape the mid-table places. To-
      runners-up spot again.                mately proved a step too far. Playing         In contrast, season 2016/17 was  wards the end of the season, Danny
          Champagne corks popped            with style, Saints were to earn the           possibly the poorest in over a dec-   Edwards  signalled  his wish to step
      At the start of 2010/11, the aim was   Division’s Fair Play title but couldn’t      ade.  A  storming  start  to  the  season  down from the role he had held with
      clear:  promotion  was  the  number   reach the play-off positions.                 saw Saints in top spot throughout  such distinction and Saints had to
      one target. Getting off to an incred-         Lack of firepower                     August but the hole left by the de-   begin the process of finding a new
      ible start in notching up seventeen   With a lack of firepower, the                 parted Mendy was never filled and  manager.
      straight wins, Saints grabbed top     2013/14  was  a  disappointing  way           as the goals dried up so the tumble        Led by Finlay Johnson
      spot and refused to relinquish it for   to mark Danny Edwards’ tenth sea-           down the table gathered pace. Some  The dawn of the 2019/20 season sees
      the entire season, never being less   son in charge. The lack of goals con-         poor signings added to the problems  Saints, not only with a new manage-
      than four points clear at any stage.   signed the side to a mid-table finish        and the second half of the season de-  ment team, led by Finlay Johnson,
      The focus was clear and any pro-      despite boasting one of the meanest           livered just four wins and for a while  another young manager being given
      gress  in  the  cups  was  quickly  cur-  defences.                                 relegation was a real possibility be-  the opportunity to prove himself at
      tailed.  Such  was  the dominance  in   2014/15 saw the goals begin to re-          fore safety was finally achieved.     the higher level, but also a wholly
      the league, the champagne corks       turn. A promising start saw the side          The 2017/18 was one of our most  new squad as players followed Ed-
      popped with five games to spare as    hard to beat but too many  draws              exciting seasons in the Southern  wards to new pastures. The opportu-
      the title was secured. The curtain    held them back. A run in the FA               League, our seventh, with the side in  nity to build something new from the
      was  brought  down  on  the  record   Cup,  highlighted  by  a  deserved  win       playoff contention right up until the  ground up promises to be an exciting
      breaking season and their five year   in front of a baying Kettering crowd          final few games. Our peerless record  one.
      stay in the Spartan League by win-    was coupled with a strong run in No-          against those sides who ultimately
      ning the Challenge Trophy for an un-  vember that saw the club in a play-           claimed the top places, with just the     C L
      precedented league and cup double.    off position but from such heights,           single defeat in 12 games, including      C I
             Genuine contenders             a miserable New Year run saw them             a notable double against champi-          K
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      For the 2011/12 season, life was ex-  tumble down into relegation terri-            ons Beaconsfield Town, underlined         N
      pected to be a trial for Saints yet they   tory. It took a stubborn recovery in     how competitive a side we were. Still     P
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      made a bright start in their new en-  April to ensure eventual safety.              struggling  for  goals,  it  was  our  de-  O
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      virons and quickly acclimatised. For   2015/16 was a highwater mark for             fence that led the way with 16 clean      R
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      long periods they were genuine con-   Saints in their current run in the            sheets. It was a season that saw ever-    M
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      tenders but a poor end to the season,   Southern League. Putting aside an           green skipper Alan Hedley pass the        E

      combined  with  the  loss  of  totemic   early exit in the FA Cup Saints went       500 games mark and manager Danny          T
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      striker Charlie Strutton to the pro-  on to head the table at New Year and          Edwards reach 700 games in charge.        V
      fessional ranks, saw them fall away   looked  set  for  their  first  tilt  at  the   Saints embrace change but enjoy sta-    E I
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      into the mid table.                   play offs, if not more. Sadly they re-        bility at the same time.


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