From The Non-League Paper

ENGLAND captain David Beckham is poised to play a rare supporting role this summer - as best man at Altrincham winger Dave Gardner's wedding.

Gardner, 26, is all set to marry Davinia Taylor, who used to date Beckham's Manchester United teammate Ryan Giggs.

The former Hollyoaks stunner is now a regular fixture at Moss Lane to watch her future hubby in UniBond League action.

Former Manchester United trainee Gardner still has strong connections with the Old Trafford club.

Beckham was said to be `over the moon' at the invitation.

After a whirlwind romance, Gardner popped the question on New Year's Eve with the aid of a £40,000 diamond ring.

OW pleasing it was to see us really give our fans a night to remember at Moss Lane on Wednesday.

I'm not saying our Trophy replay victory over Kettering was a footballing classic, despite the fact we shared six goals with them before winning on penalties, but it was a great cup-tie nevertheless and one which evoked memories of some of our famous past exploits in the competition.

Let's not beat about the bush, it has been a topsy-turvy season for us here at Moss Lane, and so it's important we try to give our fans something good to look back on.

Our league win at Worksop comes into that category, but Wednesday really was a bit special and it's just a pity we came up against Man United versus Blackburn on the box, which meant there were only 436 people there to see it.

That's something all little clubs like ourselves have to live with, but all credit to the people who did come to watch us for really getting behind the lads and creating a great atmosphere.

And, though it needed a shoot-out to separate the sides, I don't think anyone who'd seen both games could argue that, over the 210 minutes, we thoroughly deserved our victory.

I think it speaks volumes that, throughout those three-and-a-half hours, we were only behind for some 30 minutes. It's great for us to have taken the scalp of a Conference club and, while some will argue that Kettering are a struggling side, I stand by what I said before we went there that, such is the gap between their league and ours, they would possibly win the UniBond premier division.

So for us to have beaten them over two hard games is, I think, a marker of how far we've come over the last three-and-half months. Now, we're really looking forward to entertaining Aylesbury, of the Ryman League premier division, at the last-32 stage next Saturday. We're not that good that we can afford to be complacent, but at the same time, I'd like to believe we can be confident of giving them a game.

We weren't in action yesterday and have no game in midweek, which means I and my assistant, Dalton Steele, should have far more selection options next weekend than we did the other night.

Our skipper, Rod Thornley, should be back from his short absence with a pulled thigh muscle, while Dave Gardner will also be available again after recovering from the sickness which forced him to pull of Wednesday's game at the last minute.

Our new signing from Southport, former Stalybridge striker Tony Sullivan, is also available, having signed too late to be eligible to face Kettering.

And with Gary Talbot having successfully got through 40 minutes the other night after five weeks on the sidelines, the picture's starting to look a lot healthier.

Having said all that, one really has to give credit to all the lads who have come in for us over a difficult month and really done a great job.

I believe we're slowly building a smashing little squad and, with a couple of decent additions, we'll hopefully be ready to have a crack at doing something in the league next season.

Our target for the time being has to be to continue to build on what has been achieved so far.