METALTEC SIL Senior Division title favourites Brantham have already achieved their target for this season.Manager Tony Hall confirmed that gaining a place in the Ridgeons League was the main objective.

Elvin King

METALTEC SIL Senior Division title favourites Brantham have already achieved their target for this season.

Manager Tony Hall confirmed that gaining a place in the Ridgeons League was the main objective.

But victory against second-placed Melton St Audry's tomorrow will confirm the championship of the SIL for the first time for Suffolk/Essex border-based club.

“It is in our hands and we are going for it,” said Hall, who won the SIL title with East Bergholt two years ago.

“I am surprised that we are in this position as Simon Fryatt has assembled a very good side at St Audry's but they hit a bad patch at the wrong time.

“My gut feeling is that the title race will go down to the wire and we have Coplestonians at home in our final match, which will be far from easy.”

Two points from the final two matches will be enough for Brantham, who are guaranteed a top- three finish because St Audry's have to play third-placed Grundisburgh in their final game.

“We have confirmation that a top-three finish will be enough for advancement to the Ridgeons League as long as any teams who finish above us do not want to go up,” added Hall.

“As no one else has applied - and our ground facilities are okay - we are going up.

“This is a wonderful achievement for a club that was down in the doldrums for a number of years and dropped down to junior football for a while.

“There is a buzz around the place - at the football club and socially - and so many people deserve credit.

“All I have done is to put a team together.

“Every season you need a new challenge and we will have one for 2008/09.

“But before then we still have a job to complete and we are not counting our chickens about winning this league for the first time in Brantham's long history.

“It was a learning curve in my first season at Brantham and we have pushed on this campaign.”

Capel Plough beat Brantham on Tuesday on a night when St Audry's were also defeated.

Pat Tynan's side can still win the title, but realistically a win at Coplestonians tomorrow will keep them in line for a possible runners-up place.

Player-manager Tynan has switched from his usual striker's role to play at the back in the last four Plough games.

Last weekend 22 of the 28 players used by the Capel first and reserve teams were from the village, which is a feather in their cap.

Grundisburgh, who topped 100 league goals last week, are outsiders for the title now, but a win at Bergholt could still keep their slim hopes alive if other results go their way.