Walsham boss Smith happy with the current winter break

IT may not be everyone’s cup of tea, but the recent bad weather has come just at the right time for Walsham-le-Willows.

So says boss Paul Smith, whose side sit top of the Thurlow Nunn Premier League after a terrific first half of the campaign, including their big Suffolk Premier Cup tie with Ipswich Town.

Walsham may be the surprise packets to be leading the table right now, but there is plenty of intent from Smith and his team as they head into the second part of the season.

“The break has come at a good time for us,” Smith admitted.

“We were starting to look tired in some quarters and we don’t have the biggest of squads. We had a full Christmas programme, so to have a couple of weeks rest now is no problem for us.”

Walsham have dipped into the loan market to sign Needham Market centre-half Nathan Clarke on loan until the end of the season, as well as bringing in prolific goal poacher Stuart Jopling.

Both signings are just what the squad needed according to Smith.

“With Gavin (Johnson) having had a knee op, getting Nathan (Clarke) in is good for us,” said Smith.

“Jops (Stuart Jopling) has always got goals and he is good cover for us up front. To have cover at both ends of the pitch is good.”

Walsham’s top-of-the-table position is mainly due to a terrific eight-match winning run through November and December after a mixed start to the season.

And Smith admits the club has had to sit down and talk about the fine position they find themselves in.

“Our position in the table is no fluke,” said Smith.

“We are up there on merit and with the likes of Brantham and Wisbech still in the FA Vase, they will have plenty of games ahead, where as we don’t have as many.

“If we are up there with five games to go, you never know what might happen.”

Today Walsham were due to entertain Gorleston at Summer Road, but the match was postponed yesterday. The Greens are currently on an unbeaten league run of nine games, going back to November.