"Bucks looking for maximum effort against Coasters"

Match Date : January 9th, 2021 3:00 pm
Competition : National League North
Ground : New Bucks Head
Kick Off : 15:00

Telford face one of the favourites for the National League North title this Saturday, when AFC Fylde will be the visitors.

After relegation from the National League Premier last season, the Coasters are after a speedy return to step 5. They currently sit 4th in the table, seven points off top spot but with at least two games in hand on all of the sides above them. The Lancashire club made an emphatic start to 2021 as well, hammering Chorley 4-0 last weekend.

That win made it 19 points from a possible 21 at home so far for Fylde, but the Mill Farm club have one of the league’s worst away records. The Coasters haven’t won in five on the road in the league and have picked up a total of just five points from 18 on their travels this term.

Fylde are managed by former Bucks favourite Jim Bentley. However, it will be assistant manager Nick Chadwick who will lead the Coasters this weekend, as Bentley is still recovering from a successful double heart bypass surgery at the start of December.

Bentley added a number of high-profile signings in the summer, including former Altrincham dangerman Jordan Hulme and experienced campaigners David Perkins and Nathan Pond – the latter of whom holds the Guinness World Record for appearing in the most divisions with a single football club (Fleetwood Town). Ben Tollitt is the Coasters’ top scorer with nine goals in all competitions.

The two sides last met during the 2016/17 campaign, when Fylde went on to win the National League North title. That season saw the Coasters record a 1-0 opening day victory at the New Bucks Head before the teams later played out a 1-1 draw at Mill Farm.

After back-to-back defeats against Chester over the festive period, the Bucks have lost three games in a row and are without a league win since November. Gavin Cowan will be hoping to end that sequence in the Bucks’ first home game of 2021.

Live stream

Supporters are not currently allowed to attend National League North fixtures, but you can watch our live stream on Telford United TV. Coverage starts from 2:50pm.

For more information, read our step-by-step guide on how to watch live.