"Bucks battle Spartans in relegation six-pointer"

Match Date : February 25th, 2023 3:00 pm
Competition : National League North
Ground : New Bucks Head
Kick Off : 15:00

The Bucks have another big game this Saturday, when Blyth Spartans will be the visitors to the New Bucks Head.

Since reaching the playoffs in 2018-19, Blyth have struggled at the wrong end of the table. The Northumbrians were 11 points off safety when the 2019-20 campaign was curtailed in March, and they were well adrift at the bottom of the table with just six points from their 14 games of the abandoned 2020-21 season. And while last year saw Spartans improve, they still only finished 19th – although that was six points and a place above the Bucks. Currently, Blyth sit in 23rd place, but they are one the clutch of five clubs immediately above the Bucks who are all on 33 points.

The Northumbrians have been through a number of managers since current Darlington boss, Alun Armstrong, led them to that 6th-place finish four years ago. The man currently in charge at Croft Park is former South Shields boss Graham Fenton. After a successful spell at the Tyneside club, Fenton was sacked in January 2022 before being appointed Blyth boss last August. He previously took caretaker charge of Spartans in 2004.

Fenton has bolstered his squad in recent weeks with the arrivals of Bradford City loanee Finn Cousin-Dawson, who was on loan at Spennymoor for the first half of the season, and forward Troy Chiabi, who has bagged the winner in each of Blyth’s last two outings. Spartans captain, last season’s 14-goal top scorer, JJ O’Donnell, has been out with injury, so experienced midfielder Nicky Deverdics skippers the side in O’Donnell’s absence.

While Croft Park tends not to be a happy hunting ground for Telford, the Bucks are unbeaten in three on home soil against Spartans. Last season the sides drew 2-2  at the New Bucks Head, although Spartans ran out comfortable 3-0 winners when the sides met at Croft Park in November.

Blyth have picked up ten points from the last five games, registering wins against Leamington, Kettering and Bradford. The Bucks are on an nine-game winless run, but have only lost once in eight at home. And with the Bucks and Blyth battling relegation, both sides will be targeting the three points on Saturday.

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MATCHDAY INFORMATION

Tickets for Saturday’s fixture will remain on sale up until kick-off and are available for purchase online here.