Hinckley AFC take another break from league action with the trip north to face Staveley Miners Welfare as the United Counties League Cup gets underway this weekend.
After exits in the FA Cup and FA Vase in August, September sees the start of another competition and one that Hinckley have, traditionally, done well in.
AFC won the Midland League equivalent in 2023 and reached the semi-finals a year later, before reaching the quarter-finals of the United Counties competition last season.
And they will start this season’s tournament with a trip to the outskirts of the Peak District to take on a Division One side on the cusp of the play-offs.
On the injury front, there’s mixed news. Ky Green is waiting on the results of a scan, Lucinee Donzo has been advised to rest for two weeks on concussion protocols after taking a blow to the head and Lewis Rankin is also out after a recurrence of his issue.
However, Chandler Pegg is back from holiday and Will Harris could make a debut after returning to fitness. He hasn’t played in a year with a knee ligament injury but is now ready to be eased back into match action.
The opposition
Staveley have started brightly this season, with five wins and a draw from their 10 league games leaving them just outside the early-season play-offs.
That’s after also finishing sixth last season, their first season in the UCL after being transferred over from the Northern Counties East League.
Their success has generally come from a mean defence – each of their first four wins this season was 1-0 – but they showed attacking prowess in a 5-1 hammering of Dronfield Town.
Joel Ward leads the way with four goals, while their leading scorer from last season, 15-goal Jack Deakin, is also still with the club.
From the dressing room
“You’ll always play cup games at this time of year, and this is a great chance for us to have a run in a competition.
“It’s been nice not to have a midweek game – we needed it to help get over a lot of injury niggles. We allowed the boys to have a rest this week, but we’ll be ready for this weekend’s double-header. Will Harris will be in the squad for Saturday, he’s an incredible footballer and is basically a new signing for us. We’ve got no doubt the fans will love him, and over time he’ll be in our starting eleven, no question.”
Ross Innes
Key information
Hinckley will be in our purple away kit for this fixture.
Staveley play at Inkersall Road, Staveley, Derbyshire, S43 3JL – and their ground, like Kirkby Road, boasts an artificial pitch.
Adults: £5
Concessions: £3
