Whitworth urged to ‘create a memory’ as they bid for promotion

Having finished fifth in Division One of the Spartan South Midlands League, the Flourmen entered the end-of-season play-offs on Tuesday night and claimed a fine 3-2 success at Ampthill Town, who finished second, with Matt Judge bagging the winner in the first period of extra-time after it had ended all-square at 2-2 after 90 minutes.

Whitworth are now just one more win away from a promotion to Step 5 as they head to Shefford Town & Campton for the play-off final tomorrow.

Mallows, who shares the managerial role with Mick Garside, led Whitworth to promotion to Step 5 back in 2017.

And he used a picture of him and his young son Maxwell, who tragically passed away in 2019, as motivation for his players before their semi-final success on Tuesday.

“I think it’s brilliant to have the play-offs,” Mallows said.

“It gives you something to aim for and the games are just one-offs.

“We beat Winslow in our last game of the season on Saturday and that meant we then had Ampthill and we got past them as well. So we have just got Shefford to get past to get us up to the next level.

"Before the semi-finals I put a picture up of me and Maxwell from the last time we got promoted, it’s one of my favourite memories and I remember it like it was yesterday.

“I just said to the lads that these are the moments where you want to achieve something. Who will be in a picture with them after the game if we can win tomorrow?

“We have got a really young squad. We probably have three or four 17 year olds starting week in, week out but we have been quite consistent.

“There have been a few freak results and if we hadn’t lost them I think we would have finished a lot closer to Stotfold who ran away with it.

“But now I just want them to create a good memory for themselves.

“We have been training since June, there has been a lot of hard work and now they need to go and get something out of what has been such a brilliant season for a bunch of young lads.

“There’s a couple of old heads in there who may call it a day after this season so they deserve that last bit of glory.

“Dan Spaughton started at the club when he was 17, he’s come back and I think he’s 36 or 37 now. It might be his last game so it would be great for him to go out on a high 20 years later.”