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6 January 2026  3 min read

Elite Academy Leagues preview - Week Eight (07/01/26)

Copleston's trip to Oaklands Wolves is the only EABL action on offer, whilst the Suffolk programme's WEABL side are at home to Barking Abbey.

In the WEABL North, Manchester will be hoping to continue their pursuit of leaders Nottingham as they travel to MK5D.

Wednesday 07 January 2026

EABL

South

Oaklands Wolves (2-2) vs Copleston High School (0-4) - LIVE STATS

WEABL

North

Milton Keynes 5 Dimensions - The Hazeley Academy (2-3) vs Manchester Mystics (2-1) - LIVE STATS

South

Copleston High School (3-1) vs Barking Abbey (2-1) - LIVE STATS

 

 

 

 

 

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Wolves on the prowl

Oaklands against Copleston in the South Conference is the EABL's only offering on Wednesday, with the hosts looking to do the double over the Suffolk side.

91-72 winners on the road when the teams met last month, victory for the Wolves would move them level with second-place Itchen at 3-2, further cementing their playoff hopes in the process.

For Copleston, they're still chasing a first win of the season. With four outings and four defeats, time is running out to make something of the current campaign and book a playoff spot for the first time since 2019/20.

To make that a reality, Copleston are going to need to find a way to slow down forward Gavin Mitchell. Producer of a 26-point, 17-rebound double-double the last time the teams met, a repeat performance at that level would surely see the Wolves through once again.

WEABL double bill

Two WEABL games are on tap, with a pair of high-flying sides looking to continue their chase towards unbeaten Conference leaders.

In the North, 2-1 Manchester are trying to keep tabs on 4-0 Nottingham, and coming through a trip to MK5D on Wednesday will be key.

With the Wildcats looking untroubled so far, owning a points difference of +203 from their four games to date, the Mystics' route to top spot is likely to involve winning out from here, including beating Nottingham by 10 or more when the sides next meet in late February.

MK5D won't be a pushover through. After securing both of their last two outings, the first two wins in their WEABL history, the Milton Keynes programme will be continuing their hunt for a playoff spot.

Looking South, it's 3-1 Copleston who are chasing, looking to reel in unbeaten rivals City of London Academy Southwark.

A trip to CoLA to end the month and a clash in Suffolk a few weeks later will surely shape the top of the Conference, as it so often has in recent years, but the defending champs can't afford to take their eye off the rest of their schedule if they're to stay the course.

Two-time winners Barking also have playoff aspirations of their own, of course, and the battle for third and four with Itchen is a tight one.

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Main image credit - Kurt Lee Photography