John McGrath and Nathan Ashmore are the proud recipients of the Enterprise National League North awards for October.
Our select panel came to their conclusions following an exciting month where the division really started to take shape.
They ultimately decided the Manager of the Month must be Buxton boss McGrath – and a flawless four weeks in the league and FA Cup saw them make up their minds quite quickly.
Five games, five great wins – with Darlington, Chorley, Alfreton Town and Peterborough Sports all ruthlessly dispatched. The FA Cup was more workman-like as they edged a tricky tie at Runcorn Linnets.
Conceding three and scoring 13 times in October, it was unlucky for the nominees as Radcliffe double act Anthony Johnson and Bernard Morley, Bedford boss Lee Bircham and John Rooney at Macclesfield who missed out.
The 45-year-old Bucks boss has his team fighting on all fronts and it’s shaping up to be a famous season for the Derbyshire club.
They do say never fall in love with a loan player, even if they’re around for just a few weeks.
It was short but very sweet for Nathan Ashmore at Bedford Town.
Arriving on the first day of October, he was back at Boreham Wood before the end of the month – but what an impression the wildly popular 35-year-old goalkeeper made.
Three clean sheets in four games saw him claim a place in the Team of the Week twice as he looked to get back to the peak of his powers.
He had a huge part to play in wins over Worksop, Chester and Oxford City. It was enough to claim the award over the other contenders Ryan Colclough of AFC Fylde, Buxton’s Luke Brennan and Rio Clegg, the Radcliffe attacker who claimed the prize last time
Congratulations to John and Nathan on their triumph!
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