AFC Sudbury face a crunch game at Jimmy Bullard’s Leatherhead this evening, looking to end a miserable run of just one win in 10 games since the middle of December.

Sudbury have kept a buffer between themselves and the relegation zone throughout this season, their first at Ryman Premier level following promotion last term.

But Jamie Godbold’s men are now getting uncomfortably close to the bottom four, following another defeat, 2-0 at Burgess Hill last weekend. Burgess Hill leapfrogged their visitors in the table, following this result.

Sudbury are currently sitting in 19th position, three points and two places clear of the bottom four, going into the last 16 fixtures of the season.

They now face a crucial period, facing a sequence of games against mid-table teams following tonight’s trip to Leatherhead.

The Suffolk side entertain 11th-placed Kingstonian on Saturday, before also playing host to 10th-placed Worthing next Tuesday evening. They are on the road at Staines (14th position) the following Saturday.

In fact, Sudbury will avoid any meetings with the top eight until a daunting trip to Havant & Waterlooville on March 11, so the intervening month is an ideal time to collect some points and move well away from the relegation mire.

Their one success, since mid-December, was a 3-0 home win against the Met Police on January 10. The last four matches have all ended in defeats, although one of these was against National League Macclesfield in the FA Trophy.

Leatherhead, who are just one place and one point ahead of Sudbury, have had Bullard at the helm since the 38-year-old’s appointment last September.

The ex-Ipswich, Wigan and Fulham midfielder has done reasonably well to date, in his first managerial job, guiding the Tanners away from the drop zone.

Elsewhere tonight in Ryman Premier, in addition to Leiston entertaining fifth-placed Tonbridge Angels, basement dwellers Grays Athletic play host to Harrow Borough, who are two points adrift of Sudbury, in a key relegation battle.

Meanwhile, Chelmsford entertain National League side Tranmere Rovers in an FA Trophy replay.