HARWICH and Parkeston Football Club are on the up – and setting their sights on promotion.

The Shrimpers started this term with their future in serious jeopardy.

They had opted to drop down from the Essex and Suffolk Border League premier division, following the departure of most of last season’s players and manager Matt Carmichael.

And they were even unsure whether they would be able to complete their fixtures in division one.

However, having rebuilt the squad and adjusted to their new surroundings, the club are now pushing for promotion back to the league’s top-flight.

They sit second in the table and, depending on the constitution for next season, have indicated that they want to go up again.

“That’s what we’re striving for,” said Harwich chairman Tony Armstrong.

“Dropping down a division was the only option available to us last year.

“The club would have folded otherwise and, even then, there were extreme doubts that we’d be able to finish the season.

“The team we started with would have seriously struggled in the premier division.

“But we’ve got a much better side now and we’re all over the moon with the way things are going.

“We’ve given notification to the league that we’d like to be considered for promotion, although obviously it depends on the constitution for next season.”

Harwich are second in the table, eight points behind runaway leaders Hatfield Peverel.

They have also played two games more than the pace-setters.

With four games left, the Shrimpers believe finishing second should be enough to put them in a potential promotion place.

“We’re not going to catch Hatfield Peverel and none of the reserve sides below us in the table are eligible to go up,” said Armstrong.

“That means our main rivals for second spot are Wormingford and Colne Engaine.

“They’re sixth and eight points behind us, but they do have four games in hand.”

Harwich have won 12 and drawn seven of their 24 matches, not losing since November 8.

They have also kept eight clean sheets in their last nine games.

The Shimpers now have four matches left, starting with tomorrow’s trip to Alresford Colne Rangers Reserves.

They then visit Holland FC on March 28 and host Alresford in the return match on April 4, before travelling to potential promotion rivals Wormingford on April 11.