BRACKLEY might have boasted the National League North’s best defence last season, but they are still waiting for their first clean sheet of the new campaign.

The Saints shipped just 37 goals in 42 league matches during 2017/18 at an average of less than one a game.

But, five games into the new campaign, Kevin Wilkin’s men have already conceded nine times at an average of almost two goals every 90 minutes and, including the end of last season, the Northamptonshire outfit have now gone seven fixtures since their last shut-out.

At the other end of the pitch, though, 12th-placed Brackley are the division’s joint-top scorers on 11 goals - a tally that can only be matched by Leamington, Kidderminster and Blyth and was significantly boosted by last weekend’s 5-1 triumph at Ashton United.

Ex-Ilkeston and Grantham Town forward Lee Ndlovu, who has been playing as a lone striker, is the leading marksman on three goals and has netted in the team’s first two home contests this term.

Despite the team’s form being inconsistent, though, former Nuneaton and Wrexham boss Wilkin has selected the same first XI and subs for the last four matches.

That means ex-Minstermen Luke Graham and Daniel Nti have had to settle for places on the bench during that period.

Centre-back Graham, 32, made the starting line-up for the 1-0 opening day defeat at Bradford Park Avenue, but hasn’t featured since.

Attacker Nti, who netted just once in 19 matches with City, is yet to kick off a match following a summer move from Nuneaton and has been limited to three second-half cameos.

Brackley were beaten in the play-off final by Harrogate Town last season, having finished third in the table, but did taste victory at Wembley when they lifted the FA Trophy after defeating National League Bromley on penalties.

Since then, Wilkin has lost two key performers with centre-back Alex Gudger having joined Solihull Moors and striker Aaron Williams, who plundered 34 goals in 42 matches across all competitions during a season-long loan from Newport, also moving up a division with Harrogate.

On his team’s form, Wilkin confessed: “It’s been the hardest start to a season I’ve had as a manager and some uncharacteristic individual errors have cost us. We eradicated them (against Ashton) so it’s no surprise we came out with a quite convincing victory.”