The Peacocks face two tough National League South home games in the space of the next four days beginning with the visit of Chelmsford City to the Cygnet Health Care Stadium tomorrow afternoon (24th September), ko 3.00pm.
After last weekend’s less than convincing performance against Laverstock & Ford in the Emirates FA Cup, Town will be well aware they will need to show a major improvement when they take on a City side which has lost just one of their opening eight League fixtures, form which sees them occupying 4th spot in the table. Their only loss to date came at the beginning of this month when they suffered a 4-3 defeat to fancied Havant & Waterlooville, but they recovered to beat Oxford City in their next game before overpowering Kings Langley by a 6-1 margin in the FA Cup last Saturday.
The Clarets have been members of the National League since the 2008-09 season after winning the Isthmian League and have reached the Play-Offs six times since. Last season they finished in an uncharacteristically low position of 19th but have bounced back this term and are in fine fettle as they make the trip down to Somerset. Their squad includes a number of players with a good deal of higher level experience including former Aldershot and Wycombe Wanderers centre half Dave Winfield, midfielder Liam Trotter who has played for the likes of Millwall and Bolton Wanderers, and striker Simeon Jackson who has featured in the Scottish Premiership, German Bundesliga and the top six English football divisions as well as making 49 senior appearances for the Canadian national team.
Town will have their work cut out then but up until their last League game at Slough had gone four games unbeaten themselves as they settle into National League life. They have not been beaten at the Cygnet since August 2021 and will seek to reinforce that impressive statistic with positive results tomorrow and against Bath City on Tuesday evening. Zac Smith returns to an otherwise unchanged Peacocks’ squad after missing last weekend’s Cup match. Head of Football Rob Dray remarked:” As we navigate a very tough two weeks where we play three of the top six sides in the League plus a tricky FA Cup tie, we have a full squad which will be utilized. This is what we signed up for, this is what promotion is about. I never wanted to be a big fish in a small pond and it’s important we all come out of our comfort zones to push the club forward so we will embrace it and have a right go.”
Matchday Information
Turnstiles, Bar, Club Shop and Refreshment Outlets open at 1.00pm
Admission is payable by card or cash at the turnstile only, priced at £12 for Adults, £10 for Concessions and £5 for Juniors (14-17 years). Under 14’s are free on condition they are accompanied by an adult. Unaccompanied Under 14’s will not be admitted.
We are pleased to confirm that printed Match Programmes will be available to purchase from the Club Shop on an initial trial basis
They are also available to read online HERE
We extend our grateful thanks to tomorrow’s Match Sponsor BS Autos & Diagnostics
We welcome our Matchday Mascots tomorrow Tone Youth Under 11’s
Last meeting: the sides met several times in the Southern League during the late 1970’s but the most recent occasion was 26th November 2016 when the Peacocks travelled to Essex for an FA Trophy 3rd Round Qualifying tie, losing 1-0 to an 89th minute goal from Anthony Church.