BOVEY Tracey AFC’s 2025/26 squad doesn’t know what defeat tastes like so it should come as no surprise that manager Ben Gerring labelled it “a perfect start.”

At the time of writing, the Moorlanders have played 19 games in all competitions, winning 16 and drawing three. Two of the three draws were in cup clashes that they went on to win via penalties so the only real blemish is a 1-1 tie with Torridgeside AFC over three months ago.

Not only are they thriving in the South West Peninsula League but they are also impressing in the FA Vase, Gerring admitting that he has “said to dream for Wembley.”

He continued, “It’s very competitive and I am strongly advising that they dream for the stars and dream for Wembley because they are that good.

“I 100% back them and that is what I’ve said to them, about winning the whole competition.”

To date, they have eliminated three step five teams in the form of St Austell AFC, Torpoint Athletic and Corsham Town, not to mention their shootout success over local rivals Buckland Athletic in the St Luke’s Challenge Cup too.

Zeroing in on that Torpoint game and they are flying high in the Western League, with 11 wins and three draws to date. To beat a side 5-0 who are yet to lose in a higher league is quite something.

After that game, Gerring said: “The Torpoint performance was unbelievable, on and off the ball I don’t think anyone was below a 9 on the day.

“It was an emphatic scoreline and that sort of level is going to be hard to replicate every week but that’s what we strive towards now.”

Having had a reputable playing career himself for the likes of Torquay United and Woking, Gerring has been reflecting on the success his side have enjoyed.

“I’ve never got to November and not lost a game so it’s a huge achievement in and of itself, to still have a chance at winning five bits of silverware is quite something.”

Alongside their dreams of a walk down Wembley Way, the targets for their league campaign couldn’t be clearer: “It’s all about promotion.”

Furthermore, “If we go back to the very start, we were very clear with our recruitment and our task, we want promotion, the club wants promotion and the club is ready for promotion.

“Everything was geared up for that one clear goal.”

In spite of Bovey’s electric form, Bridport FC have matched them stride for stride with the clashes between that pair in February and March sure to be must-watch matches.

Bovey have dealt with the other high-flyers in the division, beating neighbours Newton Abbot Spurs home and away with relative ease as well as winning 2-0 at home against Cullompton Rangers.

At one end of the field, they’ve scored 49 league goals and counting at a running rate of nearly 3.8 a game.

It was six against Honiton Town, seven against Axminster Town and eight against Torrington AFC with Ollie Aplin leading the way in their scoring charts.

Aplin, who returned to the club in the summer from Ivybridge Town, is on 14 in all competitions. On his coattails are Stuart Bowker (eight goals), Jack Brimming (eight) and Levi Landricombe (seven).

At the other end, Ollie’s brother Dom and the defence in front of him have shipped just five goals, all of which came in home outings at the Western Counties Roofing Ground interestingly enough.

Their +44 goal difference is nearly matched by Bridport’s +42 but then after that, you have Stoke Gabriel & Torbay Police with +27 and a pair on +11.

Everyone at Bovey is aligned in their game plan and that has been apparent for Gerring since day one.

“I go back to the meeting I had at the very start, when I was offered the job and that was the question I asked, where do you see the next few years? What does it look like for you?

“That’s why it was such a good match, because their ambition and my ambition aligned.”

This success hasn’t come without its roadblocks though- a target is forming on their backs with everyone else looking to be the ones that finally beat Bovey.

“There have been various different challenges that we’ve faced and at the moment, it seems to be the low block where teams try to hit us on the break.

“We’re encountering different challenges, different ways to break teams down and it is a great learning curve for me as a young manager and it’s a great learning curve for the boys as well, even if it does frustrate you at times.

“It’s game by game. I’ve openly said to this group that I believe in our quality and that, whether they want to or not, they will break records at Bovey Tracey, they will rewrite the club’s history, I firmly believe that.

“The club has never been at step five football and we’ve already matched the furthest run in the Vase”, two records in the club’s history books which are right there to be broken.

The sky really does seem to be the limit for Ben Gerring and his Bovey Tracey AFC side.