First performance kings crowned!

6 Feb 2017 By David Watters

Promotion-hunters Hitchin Town, Taunton Town and Royston Town are the EVO-STIK League Southern's first Team of the Month Award winners of 2017!

The three 'Towns' are celebrating on Monday after being named as January's winners of the monthly honours which are being sponsored by the Southern League's title sponsors EVO-STIK again this season to recognise and reward the top performers in the EVO-STIK League Southern Premier Division, Division One Central and Division One South & West.

Like all EVO-STIK League Southern performance kings, the trio are now looking forward to being presented with cut glass trophies to record their achievements and 4.5L bottles of Bell's Whisky to celebrate their success with at upcoming fixtures by representatives of the league and sponsors EVO-STIK.

Under the guidance of manager Leigh Robinson, Taunton Town kicked off 2017 by winning their second monthly honour of the 2016-17 campaign in EVO-STIK League Southern Division One South & West after claiming the award for the first time back in October. To win their second, the Peacocks collected 13 points from a possible 15 points on offer with four wins and a draw.

Up to seventh with as many as five games in hand on the clubs above them now following their history-making run in the Emirates FA Cup, The Viridor Stadium outfit averaged 2.6 points per game while scoring 21 goals and conceding just three in the opening weeks of 2017.

Royston manager Steve Castle are currently five points clear at the top of the EVO-STIK League Southern Division One Central table with two games in hand on their nearest rivals after a January that saw them bag 16 points out of a possible 18 from five wins and a draw.

Second-time winners like the Peacocks after also winning October's laurels, the Crows averaged 2.667 points per game while scoring 22 goals and conceding eight in January.

Hitchin Town and manager Mark Burke are third and just two points off the top of the table after being crowned for the first time this season as one of the EVO-STIK League Southern's top flight performance kings.

To earn their first honour the Canaries took nine points from nine to average the maximum three points per game, along the way finding the net six times and conceding twice.

Follow the EVO-STIK League Southern on Twitter at @SouthernLeague1

Where next?

Bluebirds salute boss and stalwart EVO-STIK League Southern Chippenham Town have been paying tribute to long-serving manager Mark Collier.

Saturday's South & West action review Hereford FC`s march towards the EVO-STIK League Southern's Division One South & West title continued on Saturday with a comfortable 3-0 win at Slimbridge, writes Pitchero's Steve Whitney.