"Buck battle Boro at Barwell in Super Sunday clash"

Match Date : December 17th, 2023 3:00 pm
Competition : Southern League Premier Central
Ground : Kirkby Road
Kick Off : 15:00

Please note that this fixture will take place on Sunday and will be played at Barwell.

The Bucks will look to make it ten games unbeaten in the league, when Kevin Wilkin’s men take on Nuneaton Borough this Sunday.

Having only narrowly missed out on promotion last year, Boro were expected to challenge towards the top end of the table again this season. Jimmy Ginnelly’s side finished 4th before losing the playoff final to Rushall on penalties. However, Boro got off to a slower start than may have been anticipated, and off the pitch they’ve found themselves in a perilous position.

Boro had been in rent arrears, but they were on course to pay off their debts by the end of the year. That was until the Warwickshire club were locked out of Liberty Way by stadium owner, Arden Tigress, at the end of October. And with significantly reduced gate receipts coming in, Nuneaton found themselves very close to going out of business. A takeover by DA Capital at the end of November has secured the immediate future of the club, but Boro are still unable to play at Liberty Way. And that’s led to Nuneaton agreeing an emergency groundshare with Barwell until March.

Given the tumultuous conditions away from the pitch, it was perhaps surprising that the crisis at Boro actually galvanised the team and saw them charge up the table. Jimmy Ginnelly’s side went on an eight-game winning run and have won nine out of their last 11 games in all competitions. What’s more, they’ve not lost a ‘home’ game in the league since they’ve been forced into groundsharing, and they only lost to AFC Fylde in the Trophy on penalties. Nuneaton currently find themselves in 10th, but they are only one point behind the 6th-placed Bucks having played the same number of games.

The Boro squad includes plenty of experience in the shape of centre backs Scott McManus and Lathaniel Rowe-Turner, player-assistant midfielder Kyle Storer and goal getter Leroy Lita. Former Buck Matt Stenson is also among the Nuneaton ranks, and the powerful forward has bagged eight goals so far this season.

The Bucks picked up an eye-catching 7-0 win when the sides met at the New Bucks Head earlier in the season. That game actually precipitated a drop off in the Bucks form, but Kevin Wilkin’s men have now gone nine unbeaten in the league. What’s more, the Bucks haven’t lost an away league game since the end of August and, coincidentally, that was a 3-1 defeat at Barwell.

The Bucks will be hoping for a more successful trip to Kirkby Road this time around, as Kevin Wilkin’s men look to climb back into the playoff places.

MATCHDAY INFORMATION

Please note that this fixture will take place on Sunday and will be played at Barwell.

Website: www.pitchero.com/clubs/nuneatonboroughfc

Ground Address (at Barwell): Kirkby Road, Barwell, Leicester, LE9 8FQ