The Bucks weren’t anywhere close to their best on a dismal night in Leicestershire, as Kevin Wilkin’s men slumped to a 2-0 defeat at Barwell.

The Bucks made a disasterous start when some inattentive defending allowed Koby Arthur to latch onto a hopeful ball forward. Arthur found Leroy Lita, and he was bundled over for a spot kick. Barwell captain Brady Hickey calmly converted the penalty, beating Brandon Hall in the 4th minute.

The Bucks were poor for the rest of the first half too. And although Barwell didn’t create many other clear cut chances themselves, the Canaries were well worth their 1-0 half time lead.

Neither side had much to shout about in a largely dull and uneventful second half, but that, of course, suited the Canaries far more than the Bucks.

The result was put beyond doubt deep into extra time when Hickey doubled his and Barwell’s tally for the night. The Bucks were caught too high upfield in the 96th minute, and Hickey fired the ball high across Hall and into the far corner for 2-0.

It’s the first time this season that the Bucks have failed to find the net, and it was, in truth, a comfortable night for the Barwell defence. Defeat means that the Bucks miss the opportunity to go top but remain 2nd in the league.