UP NEXT, the first team look to follow up on the Boxing Day victory over Hucknall Town as they welcome Wisbech Town to The Stag Ground for a third meeting of the season. After two long trips to Wisbech yielded a cup win and a narrow loss in the league, the Miners hope to open 2025 with a home victory.

Kimberley go into the fixture on the back of a run of improved performances which should have given a better return of five points from a possible eighteen over the last six matches. With a win in the bank to finish 2024, the team will look at this fixture as a chance to make up for a loss in the away fixture a few weeks ago in what was a very poor match.

Wisbech come to Kimberley with two wins and two draws from their last six matches. This inconsistent run sees them sitting six points above the relegation places, having played the most matches in the division. Any slip ups would give four of the teams below them to overtake and push Wisbech into the bottom two.

On Boxing Day, Kimberley welcomed local rivals, Hucknall Town to the Stag Ground. In a match of very few chances, Kimberley were the better of the two teams and dominated the possession. The pressure paid off as, with twenty minutes remaining, Aaron Coyle scored a second headed goal in two matches to give Kimberley only their second league win of the season.

Wisbech Town’s last match was a Boxing Day visit to lowly Deeping Rangers, who sat second bottom of the division. Each team scored early in the game, with Rob Conyard opening the scoring for Wisbech on sixteen. Matt Sparrow equalised for Deeping just five minutes later to take the teams in level at half time. An ill tempered match saw each team have a player sent off with Ethan Wilson being suspended for this weekend’s fixture.

LAST TIME AROUND

The last time the two sides met was towards the end of November at Wisbech. In a match that seriously lacked quality from either side, the home side managed to edge it, with a goal midway through the first half to send the miners back home with a 1-0 defeat.

The two sides met earlier in the season 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

This is a huge match for Kimberley. After picking up points in their last match, the belief will be there for the team to push on for another three points this weekend as they bid to close the large gap to the three teams above them.

Kick off is at an earlier time of 13:00. Admission is £7 adults, £4 concessions and U16's free with a paying adult.

Please get along to support the boys