"Bucks aiming to not be affected by the January Blues"

Match Date : January 13th, 2024 3:00 pm
Competition : Southern League Premier Central
Ground : New Bucks Head
Kick Off : 15:00

The Bucks will look to continue their unbeaten streak when Leiston come to town this weekend.

Wilkin’s men lost 2-1 at Leiston on matchday two, but that defeat is now just one of four games this season where the Bucks have failed to take any points. The Bucks head into Saturday’s game on a 14-match unbeaten run, but will have to be wary of last season 3rd-place finishers.

The Blues are led by joint-managers Darren Eadie and Chris Wigger, who joined the club in March 2020. And having taken Leiston from relegation candidate to promotion hopefuls during their first three years at the club, the management duo were handed new three year contracts this April.

The Suffolk club have been in indifferent form this season, however. The Blues looked to have finally discovered their spark in late November and into December, when they racked up 16 points from a possible 18. That run included wins over Stamford, Hitchin and Stratford, but two defeats in 2024 – including a 5-0 thumping at St Ives last time out – have checked the Blues’ momentum. They currently find themselves in 16th place on 30 points.

Leiston have no doubt been massively affected by the summer departures of their entire front seven from last season. Among the key departures were top scorers Will Davies and Ben Fowkes, who joined Braintreee and Peterborough Sports respectively. But Jamar Loza (11 goals) and Ross Crane (eight goals) have done their best to keep the Blues firing this term.

As mentioned above, though, Leiston did beat the Bucks earlier in the campaign and also came out on top in the only other meeting between the two sides – the Blues winning FA Cup Third Qualifying Round clash 9-8 on penalties in October 2020.

The Bucks will be hoping it’s third time lucky, then, as Wilkin’s men go in search of three points that could lift the Bucks up to 3rd in the table.

MATCHDAY INFORMATION

Tickets for Saturday’s fixture will remain on sale up until kick-off and are available for purchase online in advance. See our ticketing page for further details.