- Team form: Buxton have won three home games in a row, making them a threat in the silverware race.
- Home form: The Bucks have won four and lost one of their last five at home in all competitions.
Buxton to play their part in silverware race
With three wins and two defeats from their last five matches in all competitions, Buxton's form hasn't exactly been consistent, but their home form has been impressive, making them a real threat in this FA Cup qualifier.
The Bucks have won their last three home matches, while South Shields have won two and lost two of their four away trips in all competitions, making Saturday's hosts the team to side with at a solid 3.13. The Mariners are in the better recent form overall but the hosts' superior home record tells us that this looks like their night.
South Shields' last two games have been a mood swing for the visitors. The Mariners started with a 4-0 home thrashing of Buxton before tasting a disappointing 3-2 defeat at Brackley Town FC last time out.
Bucks to get the better of the Tynesiders
Tactical battle
In contrast to their hosts, The Mariners are a structured, possession-based outfit who use quick passing sequences to stretch the field and an aggressive press to get back on top when they lose the ball. This could be a tight game because of the contrasting styles, but if Buxton can win second balls and push forward in numbers, their directness, pace down the wings and delivery into the box should come to the fore.
Key players
If the visitors do manage to win, they'll likely do so in a tight match, and the fact that South Shields have conceded nine goals across their four competitive away matches this season will give the home side something to work with. We're going for a home win for the main selection with a 2-1 exact score prediction.
- While Sisa Tuntulwana is the clear danger man for the hosts with four goals in his last five matches, he's also been directly involved in almost half of his side's goals across that spell.
- Paul Blackett, on the other hand, has scored four of South Shields' eight goals in their last five, so he's the obvious man to mark.
