Hinckley AFC’s three-match winning run faces its sternest test with the short trip to title-chasing Atherstone Town for an Easter Monday A5 derby.
AFC’s strong upturn continued on Saturday as they condemned Daventry Town to their heaviest defeat of the season, putting five past them at Kirkby Road.
That made it three on the bounce as Hinckley continued their strong finish to the season, but on Bank Holiday Monday they visit the only other side in the division to have also won their last three, for this most familiar of local derbies.
The opposition
If both sides name the same starting line-ups as they did on Saturday then nine players will go up against their former clubs, as will both management teams – so little will surprise either team about what lies ahead but both go into it in good spirits after their recent runs.
When Atherstone lost 2-0 at home to Histon at the end of October, that was already their fifth league defeat of the season from only 12 games and they were marooned in the middle of the pack.
Since then, though, their run has been remarkable – just one defeat in the following 22 league games has seen them edge that gap down to leaders Nuneaton, and they are now the only side who can still prevent Nuneaton winning the league.
They continued that by beating the table-toppers on their own patch in front of more than 1,500 on Saturday, courtesy of two first-half goals from their former Hinckley forward Lewis Collins, taking him onto 33 for the season.
To claim the title, the Adders need to win all four of their games and hope Nuneaton lose both of theirs – but failing that they look odds on for a home play-off semi-final and are two points ahead of Coventry United in the battle for second place.
Key information
For this match, Hinckley will be in our purple away kit for the final time this season.
Atherstone play at Sheepy Road, Atherstone Warwickshire, CV9 3AD.
