CRAIG Laird will take Yate Town to one of his old stamping grounds on Saturday confident that the club is beginning to find its feet in the Evo-Stik Southern League Division One South and West this season.
They have moved up to 11th place in the table with a hard-fought 2-1 win over Wantage Town at Lodge Road.
That was the first time Yate have won at home this season, and now Laird is looking to add further points to the tally with victory at Bridgwater on Saturday.
He said: “It will be nice to go back to Bridgwater, which was my first club and it will be the first time I have been back there as a manager.”
Jake Jackson put the Bluebells ahead on 23 minutes when Brett Trowbridge put a lovely ball behind the defence, for man of the match Camen Harvey to help Jackson put Yate a goal up.
Harvey was the goalscorer for the second just before the interval when he was on the end of a great cross from Alec Fiddes to smash the ball home on the volley.
It was good stuff from Yate but they had to work hard to keep Wantage at bay in the second period and conceded a goal on 48 minutes when Aaron Ferris struck.
Wantage tried to get on level terms but Yate held out and earned a great three points to help them climb up the table towards the top.
Laird hopes that the run will continue not just with victory at Bridgwater but, after a quick turnaround, with another home success against Tiverton Town on Tuesday night.
“We have a new side and we are just tweaking the balance of the squad and getting some players on loan,” said the manager.
Laird does not think he has the finished article as a first-choice team yet and has previously said he would think the side would become more balanced and ready to push for bigger things at Christmas.
And Laird thinks it is possible for Yate to start looking towards a run that puts them in the play-offs at least.
“We have to get into the play-offs and to do that, we have to be winning games. It’s pressure but it is good pressure.”
Meanwhile, Yate Town have sent their best wishes for a speedy recovery to young player Dane Shine.
The teenager was playing for the Yate Town Reserves side in their Gloucestershire County League clash with Ellwood last Saturday when he suffered a broken leg.
Bluebells director Lawrence Wortman said: “Everyone at the club would like to extend our best wishes to Dane on his recovery and hope to see him back on the pitch as soon as possible.”