Sandbach are on the road again this weekend, when they travel to Northeast Leicester, to face Syston as they enter an interesting phase of the season. Despite sitting second in the league, having won six out of seven, Sandbach have only played one team in the top half of the table. So, Saturday’s game will be a good indicator of whether they are real contenders for promotion, or it is just that they have not really played the strongest teams in the league yet.

Syston have returned to the Midlands Premier this year, having had a few seasons yoyoing in and out from Midlands 1 East, but their form suggests this is not likely to happen again this time. They have won five out of seven so far, with some big scores and by all accounts have added to what was already a powerful set of forwards, an exciting back division. Barkby Road has always been a difficult place to get a result and Sandbach will need to be at their best if they want to erase the memory of their last visit, when they suffered their heaviest defeat of the season 52 v 10 back in 2019. With conditions forecast to be decent for Saturday, things look set for a good contest, as both teams look to maintain their momentum. Fingers crossed for the guys in red and green.