Peterborough Sports confident they will rise to the occasion again, big derby match at Deeping Rangers against league leaders Holbeach United and promotion tussle for Stamford AFC

The city side bounced back from a horrible display in losing 4-0 at home to Hitchin to defeat title-chasing Tamworth 4-2 at the Bee Arena last weekend.

That win briefly pushed Sports up to second. Tamworth’s Tuesday in over Royston moved the city side back down to third, but they are in the middle of a pack of the top seven teams separated by just five points.

Stourbridge, who reached the first round proper of the FA Cup this season, are eighth, but with the games in hand to join the title race.

“Stourbridge are a big club at our level,” Dean stated. “They lay in front of 700-800 fans every week, but these are the games my players seem to relish. The difference between the Hitchin performance and the Tamworth display was like night and day.

“We’ve tended to play well against the better teams and if we have slipped up it’s against the likes of Hitchin.

“I have to give the credit to the players though as they were superb against Tamworth to secure a great win against a top team.

“Their attitude was first-class. We adapted our normal style of play to suit the conditions and the pitch and it worked perfectly. We had a tough January, but we won three and drew two of seven matches and we have come through it in an excellent position.

“We’ll need to be good again at Stourbridge though.

“They will play football so it should be a good match and we’ll go there confident we can give tham a game and get a result.If the boys play like they did against Tamworth we can certainly win.”

Yaxley are up to eighth in Division One Central ahead of a winnable game against North Leigh at the Decker Bus Stadium, while there’s a big game in the United Counties Premier Division as new leaders Holbeach United travel to neighbours Deeping Rangers who are sixth.

Second-placed Stamford AFC are at third-placed Cleethorpes in another huge match in the South East Division of the Northern Premier League.

FIXTURES

Saturday, February 1

SOUTHERN LEAGUE

Premier Division Central: Stourbridge v Peterborough Sports.

Division One Central: Yaxley v North Leigh.

NORTHERN PREMIER LEAGUE

South East Division: Chasetown v Wisbech, Cleethorpes v Stamford, Kidsgrove v Spalding.

UNITED COUNTIES LEAGUE

Premier Division: Deeping Rangers v Holbeach, Leicester Nirvana v Peterborough Northern Star, Pinchbeck v Anstey Nomads.

Division One: Bugbrooke St Michael v Whittlesey Ath, Long Buckby v Blackstones, Melton v Bourne.

EASTERN COUNTIES LEAGUE

Division One North: Sheringham v March Town.