After back to back winless results Martin Ball & Daryll Thomas’ men will look to get back on track when they visit the WH Davis Stadium to face bottom club Shirebrook Town this weekend. The Red Badgers went two games without a win for the first time since early November following a 1-1 draw with Melton Town and most recently a 2-1 defeat at the hands of Wisbech Town. Despite the blip in form Eastwood remain top of the league four points clear of their nearest competitors Bourne Town with eight games left to play.

On Saturday, despite taking a 45th minute lead through Aaron Opoku, a Sam Bennett brace in three second half minutes turned the game on its head and left the Red Badgers with a long drive home with nothing to show for their efforts.

Saturday’s hosts are without a win in 2025 having lost all eight fixtures this year and are currently on a run of nine successive defeats. Town’s last win was on the 21st December 2024 a 3-1 home victory against Gresley Rovers in what was just their third win at home this campaign from eighteen matches. Shirebrook have scored the least goals in the division and have failed to score in three of their last four matches whilst also conceding the third most in the league earning them the worst goal difference.

Previous meetings: The Red Badgers have won all four previous match-ups between the two sides, the most recent of which took place in July in the reverse fixture where a Louis Czerwak brace and goals from Alex Troke, Aaron O’Connor and Ryan Tait earned a rampant Eastwood a 5-0 win at Coronation Park. For the last game at Shirebrook you need to wind the clock back over four years to October 2020, on a day that Gaz Curtis scored a brace and Ross Parker and Kieran Knight scored a goal a piece to secure a 4-1 win. Jared Holmes captained the side that day with Mark Rathbone between the sticks and our very own one and only Jermain Hollis was man of the match.

Player Watch: Despite winning just once since November, Goalkeeper Mitchell Leivers has kept the score lines down, the former Long Eaton United and Hucknall Town shot stopper has appeared 18 times this season keeping four clean sheets. Striker Oliver Fearon has hit the ground running since joining from Handsworth, scoring five goals in eleven starts.

Squad Update: Daniel Elliott is a major doubt for Saturday after limping off at Wisbech, Alfie Flynn, Toby Woodward and Finnley Commons have all been recalled from their loan spells at Dunkirk and are likely to feature in the remaining eight games of the season. Will Robinson is set to return to the squad after missing Saturday’s trip to Norfolk.

FREE COACH travel, once again our generous chairman Lee Wood is willing to provide a FREE coach for all supporters wishing to travel to our huge top of the table clash with Bourne Town on Saturday 22nd March, to book a place please contact the club on email: info@eastwoodcfc.co.uk on phone: 01773 432 414 or by using any of our social media platforms.

Saturday 8th March 2025
United Counties Football League Premier North
Shirebrook Town vs Eastwood CFC
3pm Kick Off
WH Davis Stadium, Langwith Road, Shirebrook, Derbyshire, NG20 8TF

#RedBadgers