Grimsby Borough Vs Liversedge: Match Preview

Grimsby Borough Vs Liversedge: Match Preview

The Wilderness Boys will be looking to get their first league points on the board when they face Liversedge at the Technica Home of Boro on Saturday (3pm kick-off) in their next NPL Division One East matchup, as the early season fixtures come thick and fast at the beginning of the 2026/27 campaign.

It’s the first of four successive home games in league and cup for Manager Tom Claisse and Assistant Liam Dickens’ men, and they’ll be hoping their side can use that to their advantage over the coming weeks in what is a highly competitive division once again.

Borough went through pre-season unbeaten, though it's been a tough start to the competitive action as they were beaten 3-0 by fellow step four side Bourne Town in the FA Cup Extra Preliminary Round last weekend, and despite taking the lead and putting in a good performance at league favourites Matlock Town in midweek, they came away empty handed as the Gladiators edged their way to a 3-2 victory in Derbyshire, with skipper Sam Topliss and striker Charlie Burden-Whittleton’s goals proving in vain.

While those results over recent days have been frustrating, there’s a belief that the Wilderness Boys can look to kick-on this season. The squad has plenty of quality and far more depth with the additions made through the summer, and it’s hoped that those factors will prove vital across the season as a whole.

Key men Josh Venney and Edwin Essel have missed the opening two matches, and their return to fitness and availability will also provide a further boost, when that time comes.

Claisse has a wide range of options at his disposal for Saturday’s clash, however, and will be hopeful that his side can get their season up and running with a positive result.

Liversedge will make the 83-mile journey from West Yorkshire in good spirits following a strong start to their first year back at this level after a very short hiatus.

‘Sedge’ were relegated from step four after finishing in the drop zone at the conclusion of the 2024/25 campaign, but, after appointing boss Danny Forrest and his right-hand man Tom Higman last spring, bounced back in emphatic fashion by running away with the NCEL Premier Division title, finishing on 89 points, 14 clear of runners-up Beverley Town in a season where they lost just three league games throughout.

A historic club first established in 1910, and playing their home matches at the 2000 capacity Clayborn ground, Liversedge then completed the double by comfortably seeing off Rossington Main by seven goals to one in the NCEL League Cup final at Scunthorpe United’s Attis Arena.

Having added striker Kayle Price, midfielder Jake Maltby, the versatile Sam Bentley, and former Grimsby Town man Luke Hendrie over the summer, Forrest’s side have continued the fine form of the last year through pre-season - where they beat the likes of Thackley (4-0), Steeton (5-0), and Golcar United (3-1), as well as holding higher league Emley to a 1-1 draw - and into the new campaign, as goals from Ant Brown and Ben Atkinson, along with a late Lewis Barlow brace saw Sedge beat Penistone Church 4-1 in the FA Cup last weekend, before a solitary second-half Atkinson strike was enough to clinch victory in their opening league fixture against Bridlington Town on Tuesday.

That winning momentum can be tough to stop, but Borough will be hoping to keep up their strong recent head-to-head record between the two sides that saw them do the league double over their opponents in the 2023/24 season, before both hard-fought matches in 2024/25 ended all square.

It’s sure to be another tough battle between the pair on Saturday, and we look forward to welcoming the players, staff, officials, and supporters of Liversedge to the Technica Home of Grimsby Borough, along with our fantastic regular Wilderness Boys’ faithful. See you there!