February had been impressive. March and April? Absolutely relentless.

As the season entered its final stretch, Atherstone Town found themselves in the middle of something special. The signings had gelled, the system was purring, and most importantly, belief coursed through every corner of Sheepy Road. What followed was a run of form that transformed playoff hopes into playoff reality.

The Hinckley Stumble

Before the surge came a setback. Away at Hinckley on 28th February, Atherstone fell to a 1-0 defeat, Lewis Rankin’s 77th minute strike proving the difference. It was frustrating—one of those matches where chances don’t fall, the ball won’t bounce kindly, and the opposition keeper channels prime Buffon for ninety minutes.

Paul kept his message simple afterwards: “One defeat doesn’t define us. How we respond does.”

The response was emphatic.

The March Statement

Seven days later, Nuneaton Town—sitting second in the table with promotion within touching distance—visited Sheepy Road. The kind of fixture where simply competing would be respectable. Atherstone didn’t just compete. They won 2-1.

Declan Somel gave Nuneaton the lead on 57 minutes, silencing the home crowd and threatening to send the promotion chasers back up the A5 with three points. But Callum Carsley, the former Adder who’d returned from Nuneaton just months earlier, had other ideas. 8 minutes later, on 65 minutes, he equalised. Poetic justice doesn’t begin to cover it. The left-back wheeled away in celebration, the home support absolutely roaring their approval. Then Ryan Quinn stepped up with a penalty on 80 minutes to complete the turnaround and seal three massive points.

Beating the second-placed side at home wasn’t just about the points—it was a statement. Atherstone belonged in this playoff conversation.

The Away Day Masterclass

A week later, Atherstone travelled to Newport Pagnell Town and delivered one of their best performances of the season. 3-2 the final score, with goals flying in throughout.

Dan Edmonds struck twice—on 4 minutes and 66 minutes—whilst an own goal by Jon Shepherd added another on 87. Newport fought back through Saún Sammon (90) and Mason Myles (90+3), but Atherstone held on. Away wins against mid-table sides are often trickier than home matches against promotion contenders, but the lads made it look straightforward.

The travelling support—maybe seventy or eighty who’d made the trip—sang late into the afternoon. Momentum was building.

The Coventry Demolition

Then came the match that had everyone talking. League leaders Coventry United, unbeaten in months, steamrolling towards the title, visited Sheepy Road on 21st March. They’d dispatched nearly every team in the division with ease. Surely Atherstone, for all their recent form, couldn’t touch them?

Atherstone won 4-1. Against the champions-elect. At home.

Ryan Harkin opened the scoring after just 1 minute—barely time for the away fans to finish their pre-match pints. Andrew Jones-Woods doubled the lead on 41 minutes, sending Sheepy Road into delirium at half-time. Theo Crawford pulled one back for Coventry on 46 minutes, briefly threatening a comeback, before an own goal from David Moore (50) and then Oliver Kirkpatrick (86) wrapped it up.

It was a performance that announced Atherstone as genuine contenders. Not just playoff hopefuls scrambling for fifth place, but a side capable of beating anyone on their day.

The atmosphere afterwards was electric. Supporters lingered long after the final whistle, unwilling to let the moment end. Paul stood on the touchline, applauding them back, still trying to process what had just happened.

The March Town Thriller

Away at March Town United on 28th March, Atherstone faced another test. March sat eighth, just outside the playoff places themselves, and desperately needed points. The match swung back and forth, both sides creating chances, neither willing to settle for a draw.

Oliver Kirkpatrick gave Atherstone an early lead on 8 minutes, finishing clinically. Niall Rowe added a second on 34 minutes, and when Mitchell Woakes made it three on 74, the points looked secure. Toby Allen had pulled one back for March on 28 minutes, keeping them in it, but Atherstone saw out a 3-1 victory.

Four wins on the bounce now. The players were feeding off each other’s confidence, every pass sharper, every run more decisive. High morale does funny things to a football team—suddenly the impossible feels routine, and players who looked ordinary weeks earlier are producing moments of genuine quality.

The April Procession

If March was impressive, April was absurd. Five matches, five wins, seventeen goals scored, three conceded. The kind of form that wins promotions.

Moulton (H) – Won 4-1, 4th April

Mitchell Woakes opened the scoring after just 4 minutes, setting the tone immediately. Lewis Collins added two more—on 45 minutes and 46 minutes, either side of half-time—before Connor Gudger wrapped it up on 66 minutes. Jamie Lucas pulled one back for Moulton deep into stoppage time (90+2), but by then the champagne was already on ice.

Sileby Rangers (A) – Won 3-1, 11th April

Away at Sileby, Ryan Harkin struck on 61 minutes to level things up after George Herbert’s 29th minute opener. Ryan Quinn added a second on 80 minutes, and Lewis Collins sealed it in stoppage time (90+4).

Yaxley (H) – Won 2-0, 18th April

Back at Sheepy Road, Ryan Quinn converted a penalty on 6 minutes—his fourth goal in four matches—before Jack Worrall, the versatile defender signed in January, popped up with his first Atherstone goal on 15 minutes. A comfortable, professional victory that kept the run going.

Easington Sports (A) – Won 4-0, 25th April

Away at bottom-of-the-table Easington, Atherstone were utterly ruthless. Andrew Jones-Woods opened the scoring after just 1 minute, Ryan Quinn added a second on 42 minutes, and Lewis Collins completed the rout with goals on 72 and 80 minutes. Easington, offered little resistance, but you can only beat what’s in front of you.

Collins’ brace took him to double figures for the season, a remarkable achievement given his barren spell earlier in the campaign. Confidence restored, goals flowing, the striker was back to his best. Easington’s relegation was confirmed.

The Numbers Tell The Story

Nine wins from their final eleven matches. Twenty-six goals scored. A leap from seventh to third place in the table by season’s end.

When the final whistle blew on that last match at Easington, Atherstone Town had secured 72 points from 38 matches, 23 wins, 3 draws, 12 defeats. Third place. Playoff football confirmed.

Nuneaton Town had clinched the title with 77 points, 5 clear of second-placed Coventry United. But Atherstone? They’d finished ahead of Lutterworth Town (fourth, 72 points but inferior goal difference), Histon (fifth, 69 points), and Hinckley (sixth, 68 points). The playoff semi-final would be against Lutterworth—the side who’d beaten them back in January.

The Momentum Machine

What drove this extraordinary run? Tactics played a part—the 4-3-3 shape, the Channel Midfielders exploiting half-spaces, the Inside Forwards creating overloads. The January signings made a difference—Harkin’s goals, Carsley’s solidity, Kirkpatrick’s leadership.

But the real secret was simpler: momentum.

Once the wins started coming, they fed off each other. Players arrived at training expecting to win. Supporters turned up at Sheepy Road certain of three points. Opposition teams heard “Atherstone Town” and felt a twinge of concern rather than relief.

High morale transforms football teams. Passes that would normally go astray suddenly find their target. Shots that usually sail over clip the underside of the bar and nestle in. Referees give you the fifty-fifty decisions. Everything just… works.

Paul managed it brilliantly. He rotated when needed, kept everyone involved, and ensured no complacency crept in even during the winning streak. Nathan Haines, still playing right-back whilst also serving as assistant manager, provided the experienced voice in the dressing room, keeping standards high and egos in check.

The supporters played their part too. Sheepy Road became a fortress—hostile for visitors, intoxicating for the home side. Away followings swelled from the usual thirty or forty to sometimes over a hundred, travelling across the Midlands to watch their team chase playoff glory.

The Final Table

When the dust settled, the table told a story of contrasts. Nuneaton and Coventry United had been dominant all season, never really threatened, cruising to promotion. Behind them, the playoff race had been chaotic—five or six teams scrapping for four places, separated by tiny margins.

Atherstone’s 72 points and plus 33 goal difference secured third place, level on points with Lutterworth but ahead by virtue of superior goals scored. Histon in fifth had 69 points. Hinckley in sixth had 68. The margins were fine.

Seventh-placed Daventry Town finished on 63 points, 9 behind Atherstone. The gap between playoff qualification and missing out entirely wasn’t vast, and was harsh on Hinckley.

At the bottom, Yaxley and Easington Sports were relegated, finishing on 24 and 22 points respectively. Their seasons had been miserable from start to finish, whilst Atherstone’s had been a story of transformation.

Looking Ahead

The playoff semi-final against Lutterworth Town loomed. A one off affair at Sheepy Road. The team that had beaten Atherstone 2-1 back in January, Paul’s second match in charge, when everything still felt uncertain.

Now? Atherstone were a completely different proposition. Confident, organised, dangerous. The kind of team nobody wanted to face in a knockout situation.

Paul’s journey from December to April had been extraordinary. Appointed with no managerial experience, questioned by some, backed by enough to be given a chance. He’d signed seven players in January, moulded them into a coherent unit, and guided the team to third place.

But this was non-league football. Nobody cared about finishing third unless you went up. The playoff semi-final would define the season. Win, and they’d be one match away from promotion. Lose, and all the hard work, all the momentum, all those remarkable results would fade into “what might have been” territory.

The pressure was on. But if the final eleven matches had proven anything, it was that Atherstone Town thrived under pressure.

Bring on Lutterworth.