New manager Dale Belford will have a watching brief this afternoon as his new Hinckley AFC side host Heath Hayes at St John’s Park, kick off 3pm.
The new boss will be in and around the dressing room at SJP today to watch his side for the first time as manager, before officially taking charge for Tuesday’s home game against Aylestone Park in the Leicestershire Challenge Cup.
Today, interim boss Dean Thomas will take charge for the final time while Belford’s new assistant Richard Lavery will be on the pitch.
And AFC take on a Heath Hayes side who have seen goals galore in their games thus far. Despite having only played 
ten league games, they have scored 28 and conceded 24, including a 5-5 draw, a 3-3 draw and a 5-3 defeat.
The side, including former Hinckley winger Brad Rolston, sit 14th in the league and in Regan Smith, they have a genuine threat in front of goal who has scored 14 times already this season.
Their problem, though, has come at the other end. Despite keeping three clean sheets in their first five games, they have only recorded one shut out in their last eight.
And that defensive record will be put to the test again by a Hinckley side who are the league’s top scorers with 37 in 12 games.
The sides last met at the end of last season, when AFC secured the runners-up spot with a 2-0 win at the Coppice Colliery Ground courtesy of a Paul Sullivan brace.
Adults: £6
Concessions: £4
Under 16s: £2 (FREE with a HAFC junior membership card)
