"Bucks aiming to make an impact at Alfreton"

Match Date : February 18th, 2023 3:00 pm
Competition : National League North
Ground : The Impact Arena
Kick Off : 15:00

The Bucks travel to Derbyshire to face Alfreton Town this weekend.

Since returning to the National League North alongside the Bucks for the 2015/16 season, the Reds had struggled to leave their mark on the league, but they started changing that last year. After placing 10th in that first season back at step two of non-league, Alfreton then finished in the bottom half of the table for five campaigns in a row before ending just two point shy of the playoffs in 9th place last season.

And Billy Heath’s side have continued that good form into the current campaign. Alfreton sit in 9th place, five points off the playoffs but with two games in hand. The Reds good form is built largely on a solid defence, with only the top three having concede fewer goals than Town.

The Reds’ squad remains relatively settled. Experienced forwards Tom Denton, Matt Rhead and Dayle Southwell are joined in attack by dangerous youngster Bailey Hobson. Conor Branson provides drive from midfield, while at the back former Buck Dom Smith has become a mainstay of the Alfreton defence. Attacker Jordan Thewlis, who has a knack of scoring against the Bucks, joined the Reds in November and has found the net three times in the last three games.

The head-to-head record betwen the two sides has tended to be evenly poised, but Alfreton have now won the last four encounters. That includes a 3-1 win at the Impact Arena last season and a 2-1 win at the New Bucks Head in October in what was Kevin Wilkin’s first home game in charge of the Bucks.

The Reds have lost just once in nine outings since Christmas, while the Bucks are now seven without a win and have lost four of the last five.

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MATCHDAY INFORMATION

Website: www.alfretontownfootballclub.com

Ground Address: North Street, Alfreton, DE55 7FZ