"Bucks looking to break winless away run at Leamington "

Match Date : December 9th, 2025 7:45 pm
Competition : National League North
Ground : New Windmill Ground
Kick Off : 19:45

The Bucks have another important game on Tuesday night, when Kevin Wilkin will take his men to Leamington.

A well-known face in the Midlands non-league scene, Brakes boss Paul Holleran has now been in charge at Leamington for 16 years, taking charge of over 750 games in that time. But the former Bucks coach appears to have a big challenge on his hands this season, with the Brakes currently seven points adrift of safety.

Relegated alongside the Bucks in 2022/23, the Brakes made an immediate return to the National League North by beating Wilkin’s men in 2024’s Southern League Central playoff final. And Leamington made a good start on their return to Step 2, sitting in the playoff places after ten games last season. However, while the Brakes comfortably avoided relegation, finishing 16 points above the drop zone in 16th, their form has been patchy for some time. Leamington ended the last campaign with a run of just six points from their final 11 games, while this term they’ve picked up only 13 points from their 19 games so far.

Without a league win since 2 September, Leamington have lost 10 of their last 12 National League North games and currently sit bottom of the table. That said, it’s only Merthyr who have really battered the Brakes in the league this season, and Paul Holleran’s side are still a surprisingly tough nut to crack. Indeed, Leamington’s 29 goals against is one better than the Bucks and irregularly respectable for a side languishing at the bottom of the table.

The Brakes’ problems have been in attack. The Warwickshire side are yet to replace the goals and threat of Callum Stewart, who departed for Shrewsbury Town in January, while another underrated attacker, Henry Landers, departed in the summer for travel-based reasons. Leamington also saw talisman Jack Edwards end his 11-year association with the club. Without those key players, the Brakes have found the net just 13 times this season, which is the fewest in the division.

Leamington also have the league’s worst home record, picking up nine points from nine games. But the Bucks have the division’s third-worst away record and are yet to win on the road in the league this season. Given those respective records, a draw is perhaps the most likely outcome, which is something that history points to as well. Of AFC Telford’s six visits to the New Windmill, five have ended in draws, four of which finished 2-2. The last meeting between the sides in Warwickshire ended 1-1.

The other side of that coin is that the Brakes are yet to beat the Bucks in front of their own fans – the only game that didn’t finish in a stalemate was a 3-0 win for Rob Edwards’ Telford side in August 2017. And having picked up an encouraging point at Radcliffe last time out on the road, Kevin Wilkin will be hoping the Bucks can use that performance as a springboard to end their winless run away from home.

MATCHDAY INFORMATION

You can purchase tickets online in advance via the Leamington website.

Website: www.leamingtonfc.co.uk

Ground Address: Your Co-Op Community Stadium, Harbury Ln, Leamington Spa CV33 9QB