EVERYTHING in the garden looks rosy for Grundisburgh right now.Joint managers Micky Squirrell and Kevin Cunningham have led the village side to the top of the Metaltec SIL and into the later stages of both the Suffolk Senior Cup and SIL Omnico Cup.

By Elvin King

EVERYTHING in the garden looks rosy for Grundisburgh right now.

Joint managers Micky Squirrell and Kevin Cunningham have led the village side to the top of the Metaltec SIL and into the later stages of both the Suffolk Senior Cup and SIL Omnico Cup.

They have followed a succession of successful Grundisburgh managers who led the club to six SIL titles in 12 seasons to 2001 and the Senior Cup four times in six years to 2000.

“Micky and I have some hard acts to follow,” said Cunningham, who briefly moved from Ipswich Wanderers to Needham Market before switching in the late summer to Grundisburgh.

“Grundisburgh are the best run club I have been involved with, and they are hungry for more success after six years without a major trophy.

“And they deserve it.

“It would be great to bring the glory times back to Grundisburgh, but we are keeping our feet on the ground.

“We are going to stay focussed and not get carried away.

“A few weeks ago Haughley looked in pole position to take the SIL title, but they have lost a couple of recent games.

“We have to safeguard that this does not happen to us, and it is reassuring to know that the situation is now in our own hands.

“We have plenty of tough games still to play in the league - including Haughley - and very hard matches against Debenham Leisure Centre and Haughley in the Senior and Omnico Cups.

“Some things that have been said about us have been unkind and we believe untrue.

“The bottom line is that we have 20 at training every week, and our players are very fit and dedicated.

“Tomorrow's match at Stowupland Falcons is one where we will have to work hard, and in likely heavy conditions any victory may need to be a scruffy one.”

Jimmy Fitzgerald, Keith Vince and Steve Potts are previous Grundisburgh managers who won trophies aplenty for the club, and Cunningham and Squirrell are on course to bring the good times back.

Scoring goals should not be a problem with the evergreen Julian Beaumont notching 12 in the last ten games and Lee Grimwood, Glen Driver and Matty Broom also providing plenty of firepower.

Haughley cannot afford to slip up at home to Brantham Athletic, while third-placed Felixstowe United can continue their fine campaign with three points at a competitive Crane Sports.

Cockfield can climb off the bottom with a home victory over Leiston St Margarets, and it looks like being another dogfight at the foot of the table with the two relegation places unlikely to be sorted until the final week.