BUCKLAND Athletic’s playoff hopes took another hit as they were beaten on their travels in the Jewson’s Western Football League for the third game in a row.

Following a 3-0 defeat to Portishead Town and a 2-0 loss at the hands of Barnstaple Town, the latest slip-up was by just a single goal at the North Somerset Community Stadium, home of Clevedon Town.

Lucas Vowles scored the only goal of the game just before half-time and not only is this three straight defeats but it is also three consecutive outings without a goal for the Bucks.

With this trio all in the top four at the time of writing, it doesn’t bode well for the club’s promotion ambitions. That being said, they return to Homers Heath for a pair of home games to close out March against a lower-ranked duo. These two fixtures in question are instrumental in Buckland turning their fortunes around.

Elsewhere in the Western League this weekend, Portishead (1st), Brixham AFC (3rd) and Barnstaple (4th) all enjoyed victories to rub salt into the wounds.

Portishead showed why they are the team to beat in this division once again as they put six past Wellington home soil, Kyle Egan and Ethan Feltham starring with braces.

Brixham won 4-2 at Oldland Abbotonians with former Buckland man James Moxon amongst the goals once again plus Barnstaple edged out Nailsea & Tickenham on their travels, 2-1.

As previously mentioned, these next two games carry a lot of weight for Buckland Athletic with the first seeing 16th-placed Bridgwater United come to town. After that, on Saturday 29, Dan Hart’s men host 19th-placed Ilfracombe Town with six points being a necessity one would assume.

Goals from Ryan Bush, Adam Hill, Ryan Smith and Ryan Richards saw Buckland prevail in the reverse fixture against Bridgwater back in November of last year.