"Bucks prepare for tricky trip to Bromsgrove"

Match Date : March 8th, 2025 3:00 pm
Competition : Southern League Premier Central
Ground : The Victoria Ground, Birmingham Rd, Bromsgrove B61 0DR
Kick Off : 15:00

The Bucks are on the road again this weekend, when Kevin Wilkin’s men will make the short trip to Worcestershire to face Bromsgrove.

Last season was a very inconsistent one for Sporting, with long winless streaks punctuated with some impressive result, as they ultimately finished just five points above the drop in 17th. And the current campaign started in similar fashion, with the Rouslers winning one week then losing the next. That was until a 10-game winless run in which Sporting lost eight times and led to manager Paul Smith resigning in early November.

Under new manager Scott Adey-Linforth, Bromsgrove’s form has picked up dramatically. Since the start of December, the Rouslers have picked up 23 points from a possible 36, which has seen them start to move clear of the danger zone and up to 15th.

While the Rouslers job is Adey-Linforth first as a manager, the 30-year-old is also Aston Villa’s first-team performance analyst and has previously served as a coach at this level with Stourbridge.

Impressively, Adey-Lindforth has delivered an uptick in form without making wholesale changes to the Sporting squad. Tenacious midfielder Billy Shaw returned to the club in December after a brief spell at Redditch, while in February Bromsgrove added to their attacking options by bringing in Reece Styche from the Bucks, with former Sporting captain Luke Rowe heading the other way. Young attacker Jamie Meddows is top scorer for the Rouslers with 15 goals this season.

Kevin Wilkin’s men needed an injury time screamer from Rhys Hilton to beat Bromsgrove 2-1 at the SEAH Stadium back in September. And a similar story played out in last season’s encounter at the Victoria ground, when Jared Hodgkiss’ late header saw Kevin Wilkin’s men claim a 2-1 win last April.

The Bucks are unbeaten in seven, but have been less impressive on the road in recent months. Wilkin’s men have picked up only seven points from the seven away games since Christmas; a record that will need to improve if the Bucks are to challenge for the title.

MATCHDAY INFORMATION

Website: www.bromsgrovesporting.co.uk

Ground Address: The Victoria Ground, Birmingham Road, Bromsgrove, Worcestershire, B61 0DR