Downham and Fakenham bosses seek a return to winning ways ahead of midweek derby

Downham Town and Fakenham Town both seek a return to winning ways ahead of a heavyweight derby clash between the two sides on Wednesday night.Fifth-placed Downham host Sheringham at the Memorial Field tomorrow, while second-placed Fakenham will entertain Brantham Athletic.Downham have drawn their last two games against sides in the bottom five of the Thurlow Nunn Premier Division and are without a league win in their last three games – while the Ghosts have been beaten in their last two matches.After drawing 3-3 at Lakenheath on Tuesday, Downham boss Dale Stokes said: “We’ve only got ourselves to blame. It was a dominant display first half and sometimes you say ‘we could have scored two or three’, but this was more a case of ‘we should have’.”We played some great stuff and they couldn’t get close to us at times, to the point that I don’t think anyone could argue had the scoreline after 45 minutes read 5-1.”We move on to Sheringham, and it sounds stupid but it’s come to the point that it’s a must-win.”This league has already shown that anyone can beat anyone and if you slack off with your finishing or your organisation at the other end, you get punished.”Fakenham boss Alex Walpole also wants the Ghosts to get back to winning ways. “After our start to November, these next two games have increased in importance,” he said. “We set out a points total for this month, and in honesty, that included picking up positive results against Woodbridge and Cornard.”It’s been frustrating for myself, Neil (Jarvis) and Harvs (Stephen Harvey), as the group of players who got us off to an excellent start, haven’t performed anywhere near what they have shown in these last two league games.”Brantham and Downham will be two of our toughest games so far this season, so we need to make sure we are at the levels that we set out earlier this season. “Brantham are having a really good season, and from the people I’ve spoken to, they play with real energy and purpose.”Downham welcome Fakenham to the Memorial Field on Wednesday evening. Looking ahead to the derby clash, Stokes said: “We know Fakenham will be a hard game, as it always is.”They’re flying but have had a blip like us in the last two weeks, so we both probably feel like it’s a must-win in the play-off race. “I speak to Alex every week about the opposition, and although we are play-off rivals, we like to help each other out where we can.”Walpole, meanwhile, has nothing but admiration for Wednesday’s hosts, saying: “Downham, for me, are one of the best teams in the league.”Stokesy and Chara (Ryan Charalambous) are two guys who I know well and who I think a lot of, and with Danny White who I’ve played with as well, they’ve got a good set-up.”I know from chatting to both Stokesy and Chara that, a bit like us, they have had a poor month, and they’ll be looking to get six points out of the next two games. “It’ll be a good game of football against two teams who try to play. It’s a good game for the neutral.”Heacham face a tough ask in the Premier Division tomorrow when they make the trip to Thetford Town.In the First Division North, Swaffham Town host Haverhill Rovers.Elsewhere this weekend, King’s Lynn Town travel to Leamington as they set out on the Isuzu FA Trophy trail. The winners of the Second Round match will receive £3,750 and the losing club £1,000.Midfielder Cody Johnson will be available for selection again at the weekend.