Haverhill Rovers goalkeeper Alex Archer says The New Croft was ‘the only place’ for him after Newmarket Town exit

Goalkeeper Alex Archer admitted that Haverhill Rovers was ‘the only place’ he wanted to go after his exit from Thurlow Nunn League Premier Division table-toppers Newmarket Town.

The 29-year-old shot-stopper started his second tenure at The New Croft last week as Rovers boss Ben Cowling continued to build a strong outfit to tackle their Thurlow Nunn League First Division North campaign.

With Rovers being his hometown club, Archer had previously signed to the red side of Haverhill from Bury Town in July 2015 and is delighted to be back in a setting that holds a special place in his heart.

“When the contact from Ben came, it was the only place that I wanted to go to. I had a couple other offers from Step 5 clubs but it’s my boyhood club, so there’s a bit of sentimental value going back,” said the ex-Peterborough United, AFC Sudbury and Needham Market goalkeeper.

“Everyone knows that there’s no way that Haverhill Rovers should be at Step 6. Before there was any talk of me going back, everyone was saying ‘it looks like Haverhill are getting things sorted’. Sometimes you get a feeling about a club and Haverhill is definitely in a good position ready to have a successful period.”

Archer constantly referred back to the ‘project’ that the former Lakenheath boss is creating at The New Croft which can be seen in the other landmark signings of Sam Hawley and Tom Debenham.

The players and staff are singing from the same hymn sheet as they understand that the club will not be transformed overnight and are committed to working hard to achieve their long-term goal of promotion.

And it was a dream return for Archer in-between the sticks at The New Croft on Saturday, as he helped his side keep a clean sheet in a 3-0 victory against AFC Sudbury Reserves.

Two goals within a minute of each other in the first half from Ben Bradley and Joe Greenslade-Cross - his 19th goal in just 18 games - gave Rovers control of the game and Hawley wrapped up the points in the 72nd minute to move Cowling’s side up to 14th in the table.

They will look to make it three league wins in a row in their trip to ninth-placed Holbeach United tomorrow (3pm).

While the door opened again for Archer at The New Croft, another shut in Newmarket after he left the leaders having made nine appearances this season.

Because Archer is a teacher, his holiday clashed with the start of the season and as he returned to the side, Jockeys boss Michael Shinn signed shot-stopper James Young from Saffron Walden, which sparked a ‘competition for places’ – that Archer said he was happy to fight for.

“I played for the first couple of games after Youngy came in but then I found myself out of the team. Whether I agreed with that or not, based on my performances I felt like I’d been playing absolutely fine, the team was doing well and we had a few clean sheets,” said Archer.

“There’s no problems between me and the manager of Newmarket or anyone at the club. It all ended very amicably. It’s just that if you’re going out to football on Saturday, you’re away from your family and you’re giving up that time, you want to be playing. That’s all it’s ever been for me.

“Once he bought another goalie in the writing was on the wall - no clubs at Step 5 have two goalkeepers because you’re working within a budget and everyone wants to be playing.

“It was about going to the right club and I would still probably be there if it wasn’t for the opportunity to come back to Rovers.”