Hinckley AFC’s new era under Dale Belford starts with a home game against Aylestone Park in the Leicestershire Challenge Cup this evening, kick off 7-30pm.
Belford’s first official game in charge is tonight’s first round tie as he takes the reins from interim boss Dean Thomas, who recorded a win, a draw and a defeat in his three games.
Belford took a watching brief on Saturday to meet his new squad for the first time, and now takes charge in an official capacity against Aylestone Park.
The Leicester-based side sit comfortably in mid-table in the East Midlands Counties League, with 20 points from their 
12 games leaving them in 10th place.
Their away record is impressive, with four wins and a draw out of their six league games on the road. They are, though, without a win in five.
It’s the second meeting of the two sides already this season after they also met in the Emirates FA Cup back in August. Hinckley triumphed 4-1 that day, but that result will have little bearing tonight – only four of the players who played that day are still with the club.
The game is also Hinckley’s first in the competition, having competed in the Jelson Homes Senior Cup for the last three seasons.
Those three seasons yielded two cup finals – the first a defeat to Bardon Hill as they fell to a goal by Andy Fell, who now plays for Aylestone Park.
Also in the Bardon Hill squad that day was Steve Hart, who will look to continue his impressive start to life in an AFC shirt having netted 11 times in eight games thus far.
