- Stratford Town have won two and drawn one of the last three meetings, including a 6-1 home victory over St Ives earlier this season.
- St Ives Town have failed to win either of their last two home games against Stratford Town.
- St Ives have won one, drawn one and lost three of their last five league matches.
Stratford should come out on top in a close match
St Ives Town and Stratford Town both have something to prove when they face off again in the Southern League Premier Division Central in 2025-2026 on Saturday. The Bloods had an opportunity to push into the play-off places last April when they drew 2-2 at St Ives, a result that cost them dear in the end and will ensure both clubs are up for it when they meet this weekend.
It should be Stratford Town who come out on top because they have a better league position (with 60 points from 41 games), recent form (2 wins, 2 draws and 1 defeat in their last 5 league games) and head-to-head record to back them up.
This match will be full of subtlety and nuance as St Ives' manager employs a direct style of football, preferring his team to exploit the transitions and attack the space behind the defence. His players will be in the opposition’s half quickly, seeking to out-physical their opponents or just go for a quick free-kick.
Goals expected in Stratford victory
But Stratford's boss prefers to control the tempo of the game, keeping the ball in the opponent’s half and using the midfield to dominate. He demands composure, organisation and discipline from his players, who are not the most physical, but they can hurt teams with their set-pieces and pace on the counter.
The odds favour Stratford at 5/4 here compared to St Ives’ 79/50 and the draw at 64/25. We’re siding with the visitors in the draw no bet market and are taking the over 2.5 goals at 49/100 because of both teams’ recent defensive records.
St Ives have conceded an average of 1.65 goals per home league game, while Stratford have conceded just 1.3 per game away from home. Stratford’s 3-1 win at Spalding United shows they can do it away from home while St Ives have won five, drawn seven and lost eight of 20 home league games this season, which isn’t great.
St Ives are in the doghouse
The visitors have won six, drawn five and lost nine of 20 away league matches, reflecting a mixed but slightly more resilient away form, and they have picked up 1 win and 1 draw in their last 2 away matches. St Ives have lost both of their most recent home matches and look a team in need of momentum.
Michael Richens is St Ives Town’s main outlet going forward and he will have to be at his best to cause Stratford any problems on Saturday. Richens has four of his side’s last eight league goals and will provide the spark in the frontline that could make this game lopsided if he doesn’t appear.
