PREVIEW: Framlingham Town U23s vs Woodbridge Town U23s

Owen Cameron in action vs Needham Market

Woodbridge Town U23 head to local rivals Framlingham Town this weekend looking to turn their fortunes around following losses to Needham Market and Stanway Rovers, and kick-start their season following the Christmas break.

It has been a frustrating, stop-start campaign so far for the Woodpeckers, who face yet another interruption after this fixture. Following their scheduled Senior Reserve Cup tie, what was originally a two-week break has now been reduced to just one.

Framlingham Town, meanwhile, have enjoyed a strong season to date and currently sit third in the table with 19 points. Their most recent outing saw them fall to a 4–0 defeat against a strong Walsham Le Willows side, bolstered by several first-team players after a postponement. Oliver Mayhew leads the scoring charts for Framlingham with nine goals in 12 appearances, while Seth Plant is close behind on seven goals from the same number of games.

Woodbridge will be without Marcus Page and Tyler Howell through injury, while several players face late fitness checks following recent matches against Needham Market and Tuesday evening’s game with Stanway Rovers.

The sides have already met once this season, with the Woodpeckers knocking Framlingham out of the Chell Trophy thanks to a Dines Ferrarge hat-trick. This weekend’s clash, however, marks the first league meeting between the two this campaign.

Last season (2024/25) saw Framlingham finish second in the league, missing out on the title by a single point to Soham Town Rangers, who boasted a superior goal difference. Framlingham did lift the Chell Trophy with a win over Brantham Athletic, though Brantham later gained revenge by defeating Framlingham in the Senior Reserve Cup final.

In the 2024/25 season, Framlingham defeated Woodbridge 3–2 at home despite the Woodpeckers leading 2–1 at half-time. In the reverse fixture, Woodbridge produced an excellent performance but were denied victory when Framlingham struck late to snatch a point in a 1–1 draw. 

Meetings between these sides are often feisty affairs, and both teams will be eager to claim local bragging rights.

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