Felixstowe & Walton have been given a big Suffolk derby in which to open their new year, with Brantham Athletic the visitors to the The Goldstar Ground today (3pm), writes Phil Griffiths.

The Thurlow Nunn Premier game has added spice with the sides having met in the league already this season.

The first game at Brantham was abandoned due to floodlight failure with the Seasiders leading 2-0 and looking good for three points. Unfortunately, they lost the rescheduled game 2-1.

That game represents the Seasiders’ only away league defeat to date. As for Brantham, they will be looking to complete their first league double of the season which would also double their tally of away wins from one to two.

It will be a strange feeling for Seasiders ‘keeper Ryan Bedingfield who spent six seasons at Brantham making 188 league appearances and played over 200 games in all competitions.

He is likely to go head to head with former team-mate Ollie Mann who has returned from a prolonged injury spell to hit 11 goals in 18 league appearances so far this season, one of those in the reverse fixture.

Bedingfield will be looking to make it a trio of clean sheets having conceded just one goal in the three games since joining the Seasiders from Ryman League Premier side Brightlingsea Regent.

It promises to be a keenly-contested encounter with the home side having bounced back from their 6-2 horror show at home to Whitton United.

Since then, they have scored seven goals and conceded just one, taking seven points from nine to push them back up to sixth spot.

Victory for Felixstowe & Walton today, with other results going in their favour, could see them climb as high as third.

There is a 2pm kick-off at King George V Playing Field today when Paul Bugg’s Whitton United team, unbeaten in nine league games, host Wivenhoe Town in the Premier Division.

At 3pm, Mildenhall Town travel to FC Clacton, Diss Town go to Gorleston, Ipswich Wanderers are on the road at Haverhill Rovers, Newmarket Town host Kirkley & Pakefield, Hadleigh United visit Norwich United and Stanway Rovers entertain Fakenham Town.