Berko boss Vipond is looking to the future as Comrades impress again

Berkhamsted manager Mick Vipond says he would love to give it ‘one last go’ to get the club promoted from the SSML Premier Division next season.
Berkhamsted manager Mick VipondBerkhamsted manager Mick Vipond
Berkhamsted manager Mick Vipond

The seventh-placed Comrades are enjoying a strong end to the current campaign, but an inconsistent middle patch of the season means that the best they could realistically achieve this year would be a top-five finish.

“We just want to finish as high as we can and we’ve also got our cup final to look forward to in May,” said Vipond.

“We’ve got a couple of games in hand on fifth-placed Harefield and we have still got to play them so to end up in the same position as last year would be good.

“We’ve got a good squad of players who are capable of playing well, and we’ve got the second leading goalscorer in the division in BJ Christie. Without a couple of silly moments throughout the season, we could have done a lot better, without a doubt.

“There have been 12 or 15 points dropped where we were either in front or in control of the game. If you add those point on to where we are now, then we could really have been putting some pressure on Kings Langley at the top of the table.

“I have had a chat with the chairman about carrying on next season. If you look at the facilities at club, it is certainly ready to go up.

“If I walked away now, it would be like packing it up without giving it one last go to get the club up, and I’d dearly like to take them up.

“We’ve just got to try and keep what we’ve got, and add to the squad, and give it another go next season.

“But the first priority is to win the points that are available for the last four games of the season, and to win our cup final.”

Berko were far too strong for struggling Ampthill Town on Saturday, and ran out 6-0 winners at Broadwater.

“They are only easy and straightforward games once you have won them – as we found out to our peril when we were beaten by Ampthill earlier in the season,” said Vipond

“But we were never really in doubt after their goalkeeper got sent off and we played some good football, as we know we are capable of doing.

“The aren’t the best side but they had to be beaten and we got the job done.”

Next up for Berkhamsted is a trip to London Tigers tomorrow night, and Vipond added: “You’ve got to go to these places and not make too much of a fuss about the conditions because it’s the same for both teams.

“They are a funny side and it just depends on what happens on the day; if they have their best players out they can be a very difficult opposition, but at other times it can become quite an easy game. It’s just the luck of the draw on the day, really.

“They’ve got one or two talented individuals who are quite skilful, but if you can get in front, they don’t always want to work particularly hard to get back into the game.”