Felixstowe & Walton go into this weekend’s round of fixtures knowing another home defeat would put their Thurlow Nunn Premier promotion hopes in serious jeopardy, as their two closest rivals keep picking up points, writes Phil Griffiths.

Three consecutive home defeats has seen their lead at the top slashed to just five points, with second-placed Coggeshall coming from behind to beat Ely City in the week, and having three games in hand over the Seasiders.

Haverhill Borough are this week’s visitors, and will arrive eager to be the fourth side to take three points away with them.

It will be Borough’s first league visit to the Goldstar, having been promoted in the summer.

But they have previously been the opposition back in October 2016 when they lost 4-0 in an FA Vase game.

They have won four times on the road this season but currently hover just above the bottom four and could be making a quick return to Division One should their facilities not pass the set criteria, or they slip any further down the table.

They will be boosted by wins from their last two games, both at home, but haven’t matched that record away in recent weeks, having suffered defeats at Stanway and basement club Wivenhoe.

When the sides met in the reverse fixture back in November on their artificial surface, it was a comfortable three points for the Seasiders with goals from Francis, Davis and Ruel in a 3-0 win.

The management duo of Kevin O’Donnell and Ian Watson will be hoping for that kind of form in this game, with the Goldstar pitch looking in remarkably good condition considering the battering it has received.

More than 200 hardy souls braved the weather last week on the coldest day of the year so far, and the club will be hoping for a similar, or better, turn-out this week to support the side when it is most needed.

Their support has been excellent this season, and they will be very much the 12th man as the Seasiders get to the real business end of the campaign, with some crunch games coming up.

SEASIDER

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