"Bucks prepare to take on in form St Ives"

Match Date : December 9th, 2023 3:00 pm
Competition : Southern League Premier Central
Ground : New Bucks Head
Kick Off : 15:00

After two weekends without a game, the Bucks return to action this Saturday when St Ives Town will be the visitors to the New Bucks Head.

The two sides met at the start of September when the Bucks ran out 3-2 winners at Westwood Road thanks to a late strike from Montel Gibson. At that stage the Ives were struggling at the wrong end of the table having picked up just five points from their opening six games. However, the Cambridgeshire club are much improved and head into Saturday’s game in simply sensational form.

The Ives have won eight of their last ten games and have picked up six league wins on the bounce – a run that includes a 4-2 hammering of Halesowen. That run has lifted Ricky Marheineke up 13th, just five points behind the Bucks, while they also enjoyed a decent run in the FA Trophy before a narrow defeat at Conference South high flyers Aveley.

Having been appointed in the summer of 2014, Marheineke led the Ives into the Southern League Premier in the 2015/16 campaign, and he is now in his ninth season in charge at Westwood Road. Under Marheineke, the Ives, much like within this season, have tended to oscillate between a relegation scrap and the comfort of lower mid table.

On the pitch, the Ives are led by midfielder Michael Richens, who previously captained Kettering Town to the Southern League Premier Central title in 2018/19. Meanwhile, up front Town had one of the division’s top marksmen last season in the shape of Jonny Edwards; the dangerous forward notched 23 league goals last term and has bagged five goals in his last four league outings. Edwards’ strike partner, Cambridge United loanee Brandon Njoku, has also been in scintillating form of late, with eight goals in the last six league games. That sees Njoku on 11 league goals for the season, placing him among the division’s top scorers.

The Bucks, meanwhile, are unbeaten in seven and haven’t conceded a goal on home soil in over 300 minutes of football. Kevin Wilkin will be hoping that his men can maintain that defensive solidity, as the Bucks look to bag three valuable points on the return to action.

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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 in advance. See our ticketing page for further details.