Big-match preview: AFC Telford United v Leiston

The Suffolk-based outfit have won six of their last seven games in the Southern Central Premier and are yet to lose a game in 2025.

The Bucks defeated the Blues 2-0 in the reverse fixture in November, but Wilkin explained why he is expecting a tougher afternoon this weekend.

“Leiston have been ultra-consistent over this last little while, and it’s going to be a really tough game,” he said. “With the greatest respect I don’t think they’re playing under any real expectation, and the expectations there certainly won’t be as they would be on us and maybe some of the other sides.”

Wilkin added: “They’re a team on a fantastic run, and certainly when you are deemed to be outside the ‘bigger’ clubs at the level the expectations won’t be as great as what some of the rest of us have to face.

“If you’re able to play within that zone then fair enough, and they’re making the most of it.

“Like everyone I’m sure they’ll be lifted by coming to our stadium, and we have to make sure we’re really on our game to overcome them.”

The Telford boss also revealed he is expecting the visitors to come to the SEAH Stadium to try and outplay Telford, rather than accept a point like other sides have done this season.

“They’re more than capable of passing the ball and have some very technically gifted players who can get them goals within their play,” Wilkin said. “They’ve got a little bit of everything about them, and that’s what you usually find with side’s at the top end of the table.”

He continued: “There will be a real confidence about them, but we’ve got to make sure we’ve got a little bit more.

“When you look at some of the teams that they’ve beaten and compare it to some of our results you’d say we’re fairly similar, so I’m expecting it to be a game between two closely-matched sides.

“At their place we scored a fantastic team goal and Ricardo (Dinanga) produced some brilliant individual skill for the other, but they had a lot of the ball that day and certainly pushed us all the way.

“At the time, and looking back now, that result was very welcome.”

“That two-goal buffer was what we needed, and something we’ve been guilty of not taking at times.

“We need to squeeze a bit more of that out of the team, because Stenno’s (Matty Stenson) in such form that he’ll get on the end of good deliveries, and we really ought to be creating more of them for him.

“It’s about taking your chances when they come, and ultimately if you do that like we did on Saturday you give yourself a good chance.”

Telford’s task is likely to be made harder by the absence of captain Sam Whittall, who is expected to miss out with a hamstring injury.