​Leighton Town aiming for league and cup double

They’ll face Ardley United at the home of Leverstock Green, aiming to add to their Spartan South Midlands Premier Division glory that saw them win the league by 14 points.

It will be a chance to see off the season in style ahead of the move up to step four next season and life in the Southern Premier League Division One Central.

Boss Lee Bircham said: “The cup final will be massive for us because we want to get the double.

"It’s got to be what we want because the club’s gone a long time without winning things and we’ve then won a lot in a short space of time and we want to win one more.”

The game will see a return to Leverstock Green, at whom Leighton won their last league game 3-0 on April 22, with Bircham having said after that game that many players had staked a claim for a place in the cup final team.

He said: “You can’t tell the lads they’ve got a chance and then not play them. We had to play them in proper games of football which we did over the last couple of games.

"We had a lot of games in a short space of time and the boys have been phenomenal and they’ve made me look better than I actually am, because they’ve grafted out a run of 13 wins in 14, the other being a draw, and it was ridiculous."

Ardley finished the campaign in 14th place and after holding Leighton to a 3-3 draw at Bell Close back in December, were beaten 2-1 by Bircham’s men on April 10.

*Meanwhile, the remainder of the Spartan South Midlands Premier Division ups and downs have been confirmed.

Joining Leighton in being promoted will be Stotfold, who finished as runners-up but still had to take part in an inter-step play-off last weekend.

They ran out 2-0 winners at Norfolk side Dereham Town who were relegated from their league as a result.

Dropping down from the SSM Premier will be London Colney, who finished 12 points adrift at the bottom of the table, while Hoddesdon Town have also been relegated after failing to earn a reprieve via a points-per-game basis.

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