Hinckley AFC will target a ninth consecutive home win this weekend as Cogenhoe United visit in the first round of the Isuzu FA Vase.
Hinckley’s first appearance in the first round for six years sees step five opposition visit Kirkby Road as Cogenhoe make the journey from Northamptonshire.
AFC have progressed further than the first round in the past six years, but earned byes to the second round in consecutive seasons as reward for lengthy runs in the previous campaign.
And they’ll be looking to channel the runs that saw them reach the fifth round in 2016/17 and the fourth round a year later.
The current eight-match home winning run includes beating Paget Rangers and Stafford Town in the competition’s qualifying rounds. But it is still short of the 13-win record set last season and another would earn Joe Conneely’s men arguably their finest victory of the campaign to date.
Cogenhoe sit 14th in the United Counties Premier South with two wins and three draws from their ten league games so far. They drew 3-3 with Lutterworth Town last time out and have beaten Rothwell Corinthians and Raunds Town to reach this stage of the Vase.
They have a link with step three club AFC Rushden and Diamonds that sees a number of Rushden’s young players feature for the Cooks. Jessi Obeng is their leading scorer with nine, while Pharrell Anderson has eight.
For Hinckley, new signing Ben Birch is in contention to make his debut after joining from Studley this week.
Should the match end level after 90 minutes, it will go straight to a penalty shoot-out. The winners of the tie will progress to the second round, which will be played in November.
Adults: £6
Concessions: £4
Under 16s: £2
