March Hockey Club men's firsts vs Saffron Walden, Action: Picture Steve Williams

TWO promotion contenders go head to head this weekend in what is being billed as the biggest game of Saffron Walden’s season.

March Hockey Club men's firsts vs Saffron Walden, Action: Picture Steve Williams

Walden welcome Cambridge City to Newport Free Grammar School on Saturday for a clash of titans as top meets second place in the East League Division One.

The two sides share identical records: played five, won five and have a plus-18 goal difference. The only difference is Walden have scored 28 to Cambridge’s 21 – but Cambridge have only conceded three goals.

Captain Andy Body knows his side will have to shore up their defence if they want to win – they are conceding, on average, two goals a game.

“We earmarked the games against Cambridge as ‘biggies’,” he told the Reporter.

“Traditionally Cambridge City are a strong side and we know they will be our hardest games but we have a good squad so, hopefully, we should be fine.

“Attacking we will be OK. Defensively we need to do it as a team rather than leave it to the back four. At times we look lost defensively and we have a tendency to switch off – that goes for the whole team so we need to get better.”

Walden know what to expect from Cambridge who are proven winners in the league – a spine of experience players will be flanked by the club’s up and coming youngsters who, according to Boyd, will provide speed and energy to attacks.

Stopping them will be another matter but Walden will need to improve from Saturday’s dismantling of March if they are to succeed. Goals from Boyd (2), Matt Well (2), Ali Cowper (2) and Guy Flynn flattered Walden in a close game.

“We had a poor first half,” said Boyd.

“We were very slow – we looked like we hadn’t got out of bed. We were better in the second half but still not great – it sounds silly when we won 7-2 but we could have been much better.”

Saturday’s game starts at 1.30pm at Newport Free Grammar School.