With the pain of last weeks 2-3 home defeat against St Ives subsiding, Poppies are on the road to Suffolk again for Saturday’s game at Lowestoft Town FC.

With only nine games left, five away and four at home and a potential 27 points at stake, each game takes on a cup final feel. All of the other promotion and playoff contenders have away ties; league leaders Bedford Town are at Redditch, AFC Telford visit Sudbury, Stratford are in Leicestershire at Harborough Town and Halesowen travel to Hitchin. There are still only five points separating the top five as Stamford, Harborough and Leiston lead the chase for a play off place.

Lowestoft Town meanwhile, have not lost in their previous three games (1-1 Royston Town away; 2-2 away at Stamford and a win over relegation rivals Hitchin at home 2-1) following a seven match losing streak (most recently, Harborough away 1-2; Sudbury at home 1-3 and Stratford at home 1-2) scoring eight goals conceding twelve.

‘The Trawlerboys’, under the managership of Andy Reynolds, reside in the relegation zone 19th place in the league. In the last six game league overall form guide, they are 17th in all games (5 points from a possible 18), home 21st place (having picked up three points from a possible 18) and 17th in the away form league (five points from six games).

In contrast, seventeen places and twenty-five points separate the two teams, KTFC, with three wins in the last six games (2-1 Alvechurch; 0-2 Leiston; 1-3 and Stourbridge) together with two losses (2-3 St Ives and Bedford 1-3), and a draw versus Halesowen Town 0-0, remain in second place in the league. The Poppies sit 6th in the overall form guide have attaining 10 points from a possible 18 (10th place for home form (10 from 18 points) and 7th position for away matches (9 points out of 18). Dan Jezeph is making his 50th appearance for the Poppies whilst Ben Hart starts the first of his two match suspension. Having beaten Lowestoft 4-1 in the corresponding fixture this season at Latimer Park, you may be forgiven for thinking this may be a plain sailing for the Poppies on the Suffolk coast. However, there is always a chance of an upset. COYP!

LOWESTOFT TOWN

Season        V        Comp           F-A     Att:    Poppies Scorers

1964-65        A        FAC4Q         3-1     2256   Kerry, Bleanch, Blount

1966-67        A        FAC4Q         1-3     3600   Gully

1986-87        H        FAC1Q         2-1     832    Jeffrey, Crawley

2018-19        H        ESLSPC       3-0     586    O’Connor, Towers, Kelly

                     A        ESLSPC       1-0     644    Hoenes

2024-25        H        PISLPC        4-1     930    Own goal, Miller, Ranger, Jarvis

POPPIES WINS:  5        GOALS FOR: 14

THE TRAWLERBOYS WINS:      1                             GOALS AGAINST:               6

DRAWS                                     0

Played for both clubs (2)

Goalkeepers

Matthew Foy, Billy Johnson.

League debuts (1)

Kombe Kawimbe     21:09:24 (h)

Own goals v Kettering Town (1)

Joshua Hazell          2024-25 (h)

Kettering Town players sent off v Lowestoft Town (1)

Aaron O’ Connor     2018-19 (a)

LOWESTOFT TOWN

Manager                                      Andy Reynolds                 

Ground                                       Crown Meadow                 

Position in League                     19^th  (35pts from 32 games)

Leading League scorer              (14) Harvey Sayer

FORM LAST 5                 

Form last Overall               DDWLL         5pts    (equal 14^th in the form table)

Form last away                  DDLLW         5pts

Form last home               WLLLL         3pts

FORM TABLE LAST 5 (Home & Away) – Top 8 (as of 11:03:25)

Bedford Town                    WWWWL      =  12 Pts

Stamford AFC                   WWDWD      =  11 Pts

Halesowen Town               WWDWD      =  11 Pts

Harborough Town            WDWWD      =  11 Pts

AFC Telford Utd                DDWWD       =  9 Pts

KETTERING TOWN          LWWDL       =  7 Pts  – H: LWDWL 7pts, A: WLWWL 9pts

Leiston                              WLLWD        =  7 Pts

Stratford Town                 LDWDL         =  5 Pts

The Trawler Boys so far….