Hinckley AFC’s final match before Christmas sees a short trip to Lutterworth Town for the first of two festive local derbies, kick off 2pm.
Ahead of Boxing Day’s visit of Atherstone Town to Kirkby Road, Hinckley make trip the other way down the A5 with Dunley Way the venue for a clash of two sides just outside the play-off spots.
AFC got December off to a positive start by beating bottom side Bugbrooke St Michaels last week – and will hope to carry that result into this weekend.
And they will do so in the hope that Jared Bradshaw and Jordan Clement could both return to the matchday squad, having missed out last week through illness and holiday respectively.
The opposition
After an outstanding September and October, in which they won 10 games out of 13 in all competitions, Lutterworth’s form has dipped a little recently from those extremely high standards.
They have lost four of their last seven, and it would have been five were it not for a stoppage-time equaliser away to Northampton Sileby Rangers last weekend. Since the start of November, their two wins, at home to Easington Sports and Oadby Town, and that draw at Sileby, have all been secured in the last five minutes.
But those dropped points have all come away and they have remained strong at their Dunley Way home, where they have won every home game since the end of August apart from one, when they were knocked out of the FA Vase by Heather St John’s. Only Aylestone Park and Newport Pagnell Town have come away from there with any league points this season.
They sit seventh heading into this weekend, one place and one point above Hinckley, and also one point away from the last play-off spot.
Liam Read is their leading scorer with eight goals but they have also added to their attacking stocks recently with the signing of ex-Harborough, Corby and Rugby Borough front man Tendai Daire.
From the dressing room
“The message will be to do what we did at Bugbrooke last week. If we do that, we’ll give ourselves a great opportunity to win games.
“We’ve got plenty of local derbies in this league and this, along with Boxing Day, is another. At Hinckley, games against Atherstone, Nuneaton, Coventry United, Lutterworth -they’re great games to be part of. There’s competition for players and bragging rights on offer.”
Adam Davies
Key information
Lutterworth play at Dunley Way, Lutterworth, LE17 4NP. Supporters please be aware that on-site parking is for players and officials only, and fans should park courteously on the neighbouring streets.
Adults: £10
Concessions: £5
