RECENT results may not have been encouraging but they have not persuaded St Albans City to review its objectives this season.

"We wanted a top eight finish and we're not revising that," said co-manager Gary Roberts, "but it will be harder to achieve."

Steve Cook, who makes up the other half of the management team at Clarence Park, expressed similar sentiments

He said: "We're paying the price for an extremely stretched squad but we've got a bit of breathing space now to regroup and a top eight place is still very realistic for us."

On a grander scale, the spate of injuries do not influence the three-year plan introduced by Roberts and Cook when they came to the club in the summer.

"This season we want to improve on last year and hopefully generate a bit more interest in the club in the town," commented Cook.

"Hopefully we can build on that in our second year and then be in a position to challenge for honours in the third year. But anyone who knows Gary and I will know that we don't want to just make up the numbers come the end of the season."

Consequently, a few new faces might be around when the Saints resume action on October 20 at Heybridge Swifts.

A seven-day approach has recently been made for Leon Woodruffe, a 23-year-old attacking midfielder with a good goal-scoring record at Harrow Borough, adding to those for strikers Jimmy Sagrue, currently with Aldershot Town and Lee Allen, who is at Enfield.

Club chairman Lee Harding concluded: "Obviously they want to strengthen the squad and I'm more than happy with the way they are managing the budget. I'm not going to put objectives down to put added pressure on Steve and Gary.

"We've had a fair share of bad luck but these things even themselves out. We're not going to get impatient."

October 17, 2001 19:08

Alan Feldberg