ALBION Sports’ manager Kulwinder Sandhu is slowly evolving his squad and he feels the new look team is just about clicking into gear.

They began their second season in the Toolstation Northern Counties East top flight with a 3-0 home defeat but won their next three. They then picked up just one point from the next five league fixtures but, just when people were beginning to write them off, they silenced their critics.

Saturday’s 4-0 derby win over Thackley was their third three point maximum on the trot and in that spell Albion have scored 17 but conceded only 2. Their close season signings have settled in and before last weekend’s win they signed Matty James from Bradford Park Avenue.

Sandhu said, “We got Matty on the Thursday before the game and I thought he had a very good debut. He looked a little weary towards the end and that was why we substituted him with about a quarter of an hour to go.

“Matty hasn’t played a lot of football lately because he was out of favour at Park Avenue but he is a very good player. He has come here and wants to be a part of our club and we’re delighted to have him.”

Defender James Firth, midfielder Brice Tiani, forward Matt Mathers and the versatile Matt Morgan were all summer recruits and young players like Aran Basi, Ferdinand Annor and Kamron Basi have all broken into the first team squad.

Sandhu said, “We have got three or four coming back from injuries as well so I think we will be alright this season. We had a bit of a rocky patch but we had six or seven new players in the squad and it takes time when you’re in transition.

“I had a very strong bench last week, Matt Morgan, Matt Mathers, Levi Maturine and even Lee Elam. I left Lee out because we had three tough games in eight days and he had played in two of them, he’s 37 it would have been too much to ask.

“But we have that luxury when we have a player like Matty James to slot in. The result went well for us because we maintained our level of performance and I think we can do that with this current squad.

“We are still fairly new to this level and still learning but I think we can exist in this division. People have to remember that we have played a lot of games against the top sides, like Heanor Town, twice, Handsworth and Shaw Lane.

“I’m hoping we can have a strong run now and climb the table a bit more.”