Spencer boss Ben Stone says star striker Paul Pickering in ‘on fire’ after netting 13 goals in three games.
And the Millers manager will hope the club captain can shoot his side into the third round of the FA Vase this Saturday.
Standing in UCL Division One Spencer’s way are East Midlands Counties Premier Division high-flyers Borrowash Victoria.
But Stone doesn’t fear the trip into the unknown, having seen his men win nine of their last 10 games, with Pickering at the forefront of the good form.
“We’ve got a style of play and we’ll stick to that this weekend,” said Stone, who saw his side rout Raunds Town 5-1 last Saturday.
“Our main striker Paul Pickering is on fire. He’s scored 13 goals in three games!
“He’s been at Spencer as man and boy. He’s 31 now and he’s Spencer through and through. He’s our skipper as well and he’s on fire at the moment.
“We’re also playing well defensively so things are pretty good.”
Borrowash Victoria are currently third in their league, having claimed 30 points from their 13 games so far.
But Stone refuses to read too much into that form and has full belief in his side, who beat UCL Premier Division side Long Buckby in the previous round of the Vase.
He said: “It’s hard to judge their league. They could be brilliant or they could be the same as us. You just go there hoping you can play well and you just never know.
“We’ve done better than expected and if we get a win on Saturday then that would be brilliant.”
Spencer may be in Vase action but there remains a healthy programme of fixtures in UCL Division One this weekend.
The stand-out clash comes at Birds Close, where unbeaten Bugbrooke St Michael’s take on second-placed Sileby Rangers.
And Bugbrooke boss Paul Field knows these are the kind of games his side must pick up points from if they are to achieve their aim of finishing in the top four this season.
“We’ll enjoy the day and hopefully get a good result because we’ve got to go into these games looking to get something out of them,” said Field.
“We won’t change the way we play and if we’ve got aspirations of finishing in the top four, which I think we can, we’ve got to do well against sides like Sileby, who are very experienced.”
Elsewhere, ON Chenecks boss Graham Cottle is confident his men can register as second victory of the season against struggling Raunds Town.
“It will be an interesting game,” said Cottle. “We beat them at their place earlier in the season and it would be nice to get another win.”
LONG BUCKBY
Scott’s delighted despite defeat
Boss Scott Goodwin says he is delighted with the way things have been going at Long Buckby - despite seeing his side lose at Quorn on Tuesday night.
The Bucks were beaten 2-0 in the UCL Premier Division clash and now face back-to-back league meetings with Yaxley.
“I’ve got to be delighted with the way things have gone during the past 10 games here,” said Goodwin.
“We’ve now got two games against Yaxley coming up and we want bounce back from Tuesday and pick up a couple more good results.”
ON CHENECKS
Graham: Squad’s getting stronger
Graham Cottle believes his Chenecks squad is starting to come together - after bolstering it in recent weeks.
Cottle has added Jack Allcock and Harry Barnes to the mix, while Jez Hindle should return from injury against Raunds on Saturday.
Jack English may also be in the side for that game and Cottle said: “We’re starting to get a strong squad together.”
UCL FIXTURES
FA CARLSBERG VASE
Second round: AFC Rushden & Diamonds v Basford, Borrowash Victoria v Spencer, Bridgnorth v Boston Town, Causeway v Desborough, Deeping v Norton, Newport Pagnell v Enfield 1893, Oadby v Spalding, Peterborough Northern Star v Dunstable, Shepshed Dynamo v Rocester, St Ives v Wisbech.
Knockout Cup, second round: Eynesbury v Holbeach.
Premier Division: AFC Kempston v Blackstones, Harborough v Irchester, Long Buckby v Yaxley, Sleaford v Huntingdon, Stewarts & Lloyds v Quorn.
Division One: Bourne v Whitworth, Buckingham v Burton PW, Bugbrooke v Sileby, ON Chenecks v Raunds, Potton v Thrapston, Rushden & Higham v Harrowby, Wootton Blue Cross v Rothwell Corinthians.
Reserve Supplementary Cup, group one: Cogenhoe v Bugbrooke. Group two: Irchester v AFC Kempston, Thrapston v Whitworth. Group four: Desborough v Stewarts & Lloyds, Rothwell Corinthians v Oadby.
Reserve Division One: Blackstones v Harborough, Woodford United v Peterborough Northern Star.
Reserve Division Two: Burton PW v ON Chenecks, Olney v Eynesbury, Raunds v Bourne, Yaxley v Rushden & Higham
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