UP NEXT, Kimberley Miners Welfare make a long, ninety mile trip for the second time this season as they visit Wisbech Town in the league this time around. They go there in the hope of a repeat of their cup victory back in September. After being disappointed with a draw last weekend, Kimberley will be wanting to go one better and register their first league victory since the opening weekend of the season.

Wisbech will host the match with revenge in mind. The cup match in September was won with an injury time goal after Wisbech had battled their way back level in the second half. Having won four times since the cup defeat, the hosts will go into the match as favourites although they themselves have gone a month without tasting victory. With an enormous squad to choose from, it’s anyone’s guess who we will see on the team sheet this weekend.

Kimberley’s last match was at The Stag Ground on Saturday, where they hosted Boston Town. Dec Brown opened the scoring for the Miners, who were pinned back on the half hour mark through a great strike from Boston’s Harry Limb. A messy second half saw Kimberley have chance after chance in the dying minutes, hitting the woodwork and having the ball spinning along the goal line but not making the final crucial movement across the white paint. A much better performance from a team who were all pulling together after a few weeks of disruption.

Wisbech’s last match was two weeks ago, when they made the return trip and visited our neighbours Belper United at Eastwood’s Coronation Park. A second half goal from Solomon for Belper sent Wisbech home with a third defeat in a row.

LAST TIME AROUND

The two sides last met at Wisbech in September in the league cup. Wisbech opened the scoring against the run of play through Elliot Foster. Kimberley scored twice in two minutes after the half hour mark through a Ryan Wheatley header and Kai Wilson’s low shot from the edge of the box after coming on for Ben Morley just five minutes into the match through injury. Foster equalised for Wisbech midway through a scrappy and angry second half. With penalties looking likely, Josh Timson scored the winner in the first minute of injury time to send the miners home with what turned out to be their last win of the season so far.

Last season, the two teams met in March at the Stag Ground. Jon Challinor bagged the only goal of the game as Wisbech took the points in a 1-0- win.
The away match was in November last year. Sam Murphy scored in the first half, Aaron Coyle equalised on eighty minutes for the final score to be 1-1.

Earlier in the season, the two sides met at the Stag Ground in the league cup. A comfortable win for the home side came through goals from Aaron Coyle, Nathan Banton, Kole Lambert and Bijan Pakrouz after going into half time at 0-0. Final score, 4-0.

A LITTLE ABOUT THE OPPOSITION

Although a Wisbech Town existed in the 1890s, the current club was established in 1920 by the merger of three local clubs. They initially played in the Peterborough & District League, winning it in 1924–25, 1927–28, 1928–29, 1931–32 and 1932–33. In 1935 the club turned semi-professional and joined the United Counties League. Former West Ham player Sam Jennings was the first major signing, and the club won the United Counties League Cup in their first season.

In 1945–46 the club reached the first round of the FA Cup, but lost to Ipswich Town. The following season they won the league title, a feat repeated the season after. In 1950 they switched to the Eastern Counties League, before joining the Midland League in 1952.
In 1995–96 the club reached the first round of the FA Cup for the first time since the 1960s, but lost 5–1 at Kingstonian. However, after finishing second in the league that season the club were promoted to the Midland Division of the Southern League. Whilst playing in the Southern League, the club's reserve team entered the Eastern Counties League. The club reached the first round of the FA Cup again in 1996–97, losing 2–1 at home to St Albans City. The following season they reached the second round, after beating Billericay Town 2–1, before losing 2–0 at home to Bristol Rovers.

Having finished the 2012–13 season in second place in the Eastern Counties League Premier Division, the club were eligible for promotion. However, this opportunity was declined in favour of a voluntary lateral movement, rejoining the United Counties League Premier Division instead. They were runners-up in 2017–18, earning promotion to Division One East of the Northern Premier League. After finishing bottom of the Northern Premier League Midland Division at the end of the 2021–22 season, the club were relegated to the Premier Division North of the United Counties League.

Honours

Southern League
Division One champions 1961–62
Eastern Counties League
Champions 1971–72, 1976–77, 1990–91
League Cup winners 2010–11, 2012–13
United Counties League
Champions 1946–47, 1947–48, 1949–50

FINALLY

Both sides will head into the game in a desperate search of a morale building victory, having endured a difficult season so far. Kimberley will see this as a chance to continue their turnaround. Wisbech will see Kimberley as an opportunity to break their three match losing streak. An exciting game will be in prospect.
For those brave and loyal enough to make the long journey to follow the boys
Admission prices are as follows
Adults £9
Concessions £6
Please come along and support the lads