Hinckley AFC face a first county derby of 2025 as they make the short trip to Leicester Nirvana in the United Counties Premier South.
After back-to-back away draws that ended 2024 and started 2025, Hinckley will look to extend their good recent run after just one defeat in their last eight.
But they face a tough task against Nirvana, who are on a good run and off the back of arguably their best result of the season so far.
The opposition
Though Nirvana sit fourth from bottom of the table, their vastly improved run of late suggests a renewed confidence as Hamilton Park.
Having beaten play-off pair Daventry Town and Aylestone Park in their last three games, Nirvana have lifted themselves clear of any relegation worries and are nine points clear of the bottom two, with two games in hand.
They have shown their ability to compete with the top sides throughout this season – as well as those two wins, they have also beaten top-half duo ON Chenecks and Eynesbury Rovers, as well as putting six past Bugbrooke St Michaels.
That said, they have lost games heavily too, 5-1 defeats to both Hinckley and Coventry United, and 6-0 to St Neots Town.
All of those came away, though, and their home record has been good – four wins and four draws from their 11 league games at Hamilton Park, and just 15 goals conceded.
Jaylan Wildbore is their leading scorer with seven, while Jorrin John, who scored against Hinckley in October, has six.
From the dressing room
“We’ll want to improve on plenty from last weekend’s draw at Yaxley. Nirvana beat Aylestone last time out and they’ve improved a lot since they came to us in October. It’ll be a completely different game against quite a different team to the one we faced at home. It’s a difficult place to go, they’re having a good go at it at the minute and we’ll have to be bang at it to try and pick up a positive result.”
Joe Conneely
Key information
Hinckley will be in our purple away kit this weekend.
Leicester Nirvana play at Hamilton Park, Sandhills Avenue, Hamilton, Leicester, LE5 1LU.
Adults: £7
Concessions: £3
