After another excellent Cup win in midweek, Hinckley AFC head to Deeping Rangers this weekend hoping to take their cup form into the United Counties Premier North.
AFC’s last two away games have both yielded terrific victories in different competitions, firstly in the FA Vase at a Staveley Miners Welfare side who are second in Division One, and then at Lutterworth Town in the County Cup on Tuesday to inflict just a second loss on the Swifts in 13 games.
And that’s boosted the mood as they head to Deeping for the first time looking for another win, this time with three Premier North points up for grabs.
Chris Tullin will be boosted by the returns of Danny Fraser, who was left out on Tuesday as a precaution, and Najeem Oriola who’s back from his man, while Ky Green is also hoping to be fit after a quicker than expected recovery from the knock he picked up a fortnight ago. New addition Prad Bahrey is also in line for a debut.
But Luke Jones and Max Jemson will both miss out having picked up knocks of their own at Lutterworth and Prince Ogbe serves the final match of his suspension.
The opposition
Deeping only picked up one point from their first seven games but seven points from their last five have been a positive turn as they look to climb off the bottom of the table. They’ve beaten Gresley Rovers 4-0 and Hucknall Town 4-1, as well as an entertaining 3-3 draw against AFC Mansfield.
That upturn coincided with the arrival of Liam Hook as manager in late August, the former March Town midfielder who played against Hinckley for the Hares last season, who’s brought a handful of new signings with him.
Their last outing was a 1-0 defeat at Sherwood Colliery last week, the first game since mid-September in which they’ve failed to score. Harvey Thorne is their leading marksman this campaign with six goals.
From the dressing room
“It took time to get our touches on the team but since the start of October we’ve won four games and only lost twice, to two of the top three in the league. We’re now entering a busy period of games against sides around us where we need to start picking up more points. This won’t be a deciding game for our season, it’ll be over the next four or five months, but we are picking up results and we need to keep the cup ones coming and start replicating that in the league.”
Chris Tullin
Key information
Supporters travelling on the coach should be at Kirkby Road for an 11am departure, or at the Atkins Building in Hinckley at 11.10am.
Deeping play at Outgang Road, Towngate East, Market Deeping, Lincolnshire, PE6 8LQ.
Adults: £9
Concessions: £7
