"Bucks looking to beat the Blues to boost promotion hopes"

Match Date : February 22nd, 2025 3:00 pm
Competition : Southern League Premier Central
Ground : New Bucks Head
Kick Off : 15:00

The Bucks are back on home soil again this weekend, when Leiston will be the visitors to the SEAH Stadium.

After a slow start to the season that saw the Blues pick up only two points from the first four games, Leiston have quietly gone about putting themselves into promotion contention. The Suffolk club are currently eight unbeaten, picking up 20 points from 24 in that time. It’s a run that has lifted the Blues up to 5th, four points behind the Bucks but with a game in hand.

And Leiston’s rise up the table should come as no real surprise given that the Blues were central protagonists in the 2022-23 title race before eventually finishing 3rd. They will perhaps be a little disappointed with last year’s 13th-place finish, although it was very much a season of rebuilding for the Suffolk club after they were shorn of virtually their entire attack following that impressive 2022-23 campaign.

The Blues transition continued during the summer, with a rejig of their management team. Chris Wigger now takes sole control as manager, with former joint first-team boss Darren Eadie now Leiston’s Head of Football Strategy. And, after the aforementioned slow start, the restructure seems to be bearing fruit.

Last season’s top scorer, former Jamaica international Jamar Loza, is having another fine season with 17 league goals so far. While Ben Fowkes, who bagged 20 goals in 40 appearances during that 2022-23 campaign, has returned to Victory Road after a move to Peterborough Sports failed to work out. Fowkes has seven league goals this term, while the Bucks will also have to keep a close eye on winger George Quantrell, who has bagged 10. Captain Seb Dunbar made his 400th appearance for the Blues in September.

The Blues have the league’s sixth-best away record, while the Bucks have the third-best home record. With both sides on decent unbeaten runs, perhaps a draw is the most likely result. Last year’s fixture finished in a goalless stalemate too, while Kevin Wilkin’s men have chalked up four draws in their last eight outings.

The Bucks did win 2-0 in Suffolk earlier this season, though, in what was a fine away day performance. Wilkin’s men would do their promotion chances a world of good if they can put in a similar display this weekend.

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.