SHROPSHIRE outfit Haughmond are the biggest threat to Bartestree’s challenge for second spot in West Midlands League Division One.

That’s the view from Bartestree manager Dave Cadwallader with less than half of the league season remaining.

Bartestree remain second in the table, despite the home defeat against Wem, and are scheduled to face Haughmond in the final game of the campaign.

“It’s going to take a lot of effort from the lads now,” admitted Cadwallader.

“Haughmond are good side and we just hope that someone can take some points off them so we can still go to them in last game of the season and get three points there to get promoted.

“It’s a big ask, we know that, but we are still in contention and there’s a lot of football to go between now and the end of the season.

"We’ve just got to concentrate on our performances and, hopefully, that will be enough when it comes to the crunch.”

Bartestree have played two more games than third-placed Haughmond, who are only one point adrift of the Herefordshire side.

Despite this being Bartestree’s maiden season in the division, their impressive showing has not surprised the team’s assistant manager Adriano Girolami.

Girolami said promotion was Bartestree’s main target before a ball had been kicked.

“We sat down at the start of the season and thought, that with the quality of the players we had at the club, promotion was definitely an achievable goal for us."

Girolami added: “We know that we can still push for promotion. We are still in second place and it’s all to play for."