Axminster Town were forced to settle for second place in the final SWP League Eastern Division table of 2012 owing to Newton Abbot Spurs managing to play when just about everybody else was washed out.

The end of the year sees the Tigers flying high and that is in stark contrast to how they began 2012! At the turn of the year Town were destined to finish rock bottom of the Eastern Division with their only salvation being the news that the league were not going to relegate anybody at the season’s end.

What a difference 12 months make! Since Paul Ashford took charge the Tigers have gone from strength to strength and they bounce into 2013 still unbeaten this season at Sector Lane!

Tigers chairman Ray Self reflected on an excellent past twelve months for all at Sector Lane when he said: “We have made a quantum leap in terms of where we were 12 months ago. I am delighted with the progress made by Paul (Ashford) and the 1st team but, from a personal point of view the continued improvement shown by the reserves and certainly the coming on in leaps and bounds by youth system thanks to the hard work of Mike Walsh, leaves me feeling that the club is most certainly moving in the right direction and at a far greater speed than I could have envisaged 12 short months ago.”

The Tigers chairman continued: “There are still issue to be resolved vis-a-vis the new development and I am certainly hoping that the current end of March deadline to iron out concerns about the final contract can be met so that we can get the new development motoring.”

There is one area that the Tigers chief is keen to work on in the coming year. Her explained saying: “I have taken it on as something of a personal crusade to ensure that we continue to develop our coaching by ensuring that our coaches are being coached themselves to the highest possible standards. I am very keen for the club to further develop the youth structure so that as the young players get older they make the seamless step up into the senior teams. I want us to have a solid spirit that runs through the club from youth to 1st team. That’s the way ahead for a club like ours.”

With four of their first six matches of the New Year at fortress Sector Lane there’s plenty of reason for confidence amongst the Tigers faithful that their side can continue to slug it out with the other big hitters in the section. They begin the sequence with this Saturday’s trip to Teignmouth followed by a home meeting with Appledore. A January 18 trip to Greenway Lane, Budleigh Salterton is then followed by a swift return against the Robins at Sector Lane after which they will, receive first Stoke Gabriel and then Totnes and Dartington.