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In-form Attleborough Town ready to host neighbouring East Harling




They are two of the Hadley & Ottaway Anglian Combination Division One’s form sides – and tomorrow rivals Attleborough Town and East Harling will lock horns (2.30pm).

No side has picked up more points over the last six games than hosting Attleborough, who with five wins during that time have propelled themselves back into promotion contention.

Martyn Fuller’s men have also been particularly clinical during that sequence with a return of 25 goals.

Attleborough FC manager Martyn Fuller..Mark Bullimore Photography 2019. (29535064)
Attleborough FC manager Martyn Fuller..Mark Bullimore Photography 2019. (29535064)

However, they were on a similar sort of run prior to their first meeting with East Harling earlier this season in September, and ended up losing that encounter 3-0.

Fuller felt that the emotions around derby day had a big impact on that particular afternoon, and he is eager for things to be rectified this weekend.

“We are on a great run in the league,” said Fuller, whose side were beaten 1-0 by Yelverton in the Mummery Cup last weekend.

Football action from East Harling v Attleborough..Huey Saint (EH) Liam Kindred (A) ..Mark Bullimore Photography 2019. (29691080)
Football action from East Harling v Attleborough..Huey Saint (EH) Liam Kindred (A) ..Mark Bullimore Photography 2019. (29691080)

“Saturday was disappointing because we have hit the bar and post five or six times, but ultimately that does not matter. It is about sticking the ball in the net and thankfully we have been doing that most weeks.

“We are not getting over confident because we have probably been playing some of the lesser sides in the division, but having said that we put seven past Watton and nobody has done that – they even beat (leaders) Wymondham.

“I said before the last meeting with Harling that it was just another game, that we should not treat it any differently. But I think there was a bit too much excitement around it.

“We were playing well going into it and ended up being garbage on the day. It is an important game, everyone knows that, but we have to approach it in the same way we do every match.”

Football action from East Harling v Attleborough..Matthew Johnson (EH) Oliver Ramsbotham (A) ..Mark Bullimore Photography 2019. (29691086)
Football action from East Harling v Attleborough..Matthew Johnson (EH) Oliver Ramsbotham (A) ..Mark Bullimore Photography 2019. (29691086)

Like Attleborough, visiting East Harling are unbeaten since the turn of the year.

Given that their form book contains four straight draws, Stacey Lawrence’s side have not picked up as many points in 2020 as tomorrow’s opponents, yet back-to-back wins over Yelverton (4-1) and Sprowston Athletic (5-0) have helped them to move from the lower reaches of the table into seventh place.

Prior to those two big victories, goals had been hard to come by for The Green Army, with their return of 39 only better than four other teams in the division.

Consequently, Lawrence is acutely aware of how crucial it is that chances are converted if East Harling are to end their poor run at Station Road.

East Harling FC manager Stacey Lawrence..Mark Bullimore Photography 2019. (29535334)
East Harling FC manager Stacey Lawrence..Mark Bullimore Photography 2019. (29535334)

“I was fearing the worst before the game earlier in the season because we were not playing well going into it. This time I am looking forward to the game,” he said.

“We could not really be in better form and I could not be happier with the lads at the moment.

“Everyone knows Attleborough is a tough place to go. I have never got anything there. I do not think the club has won there since the 1980s.

“If that is going to change we are going to have to take our chances. In all those draws we have had we dominated a lot of the games, but if you do not kill the game off at this level you get punished and it comes back to bite you.

Football action from East Harling v Attleborough..Huey Saint (EH) scoring a goal..Mark Bullimore Photography 2019. (29691123)
Football action from East Harling v Attleborough..Huey Saint (EH) scoring a goal..Mark Bullimore Photography 2019. (29691123)

“Attleborough are probably the favourites given their position and good run they are in, but if we play to our levels and work hard, you never know.”



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