After last week’s confidence-boosting win away to Clay Cross Town, Hinckley AFC will aim to reach the second round of the FA Vase by beating Eccleshall at Kirkby Road.
A superb first league win since August, away to third-placed Clay Cross, lifted the spirits in the camp and Chris Tullin has called on his side to build on that when Eccleshall visit in the first round of the FA Vase.
It’s four years since Hinckley last got past this stage but Chandler Pegg was on the scoresheet on that occasion and another this weekend will be his 59th in club colours to take him past Lewis Rankin and into third on AFC’s goalscoring charts.
George Dimmock is cup-tied so will have to wait another week for his home debut, but AFC will welcome Luke Jones back into the squad while Max Jemson should also be fit enough for a spot on the bench after five weeks out.
The opposition
Eccleshall were beaten in the step six play-offs last season and have made a bright start to the North West Counties League Division One South season that suggests they could have another crack at it this time around.
They’re sixth, with 19 points from their first 10 games but are just six points off top spot with a game in hand in a very congested top of the table.
They were beaten heavily in their League Cup in midweek but won five of their previous seven, including beating another step five side, Coventry Sphinx, in the previous round of the Vase.
Player-Manager Danny Glover got the winner in that one, and he played against Hinckley United on a number of occasions earlier in his career, during spells with Worcester City and Nuneaton Borough in the Conference North.
From the dressing room
“We’d like to keep that confidence going from last week, and whether it’s league or cup, you have to played with the same mentality. We’re at home so it’s on us to take the initiative, and we now have something to build on. We’re absolutely going out there to win but by no means will we underestimate a good Eccleshall side who beat a step five team in the last round in Coventry Sphinx. It would be nice to have to keep an eye on social media on Monday lunchtime for the second round draw, and we’d love to keep the run going. The ball is in our court to do that.”
Chris Tullin
Key information
A minute’s silence will be held before the game in memory of long-standing supporter David Stanborough, who passed away last week.
Kirkby Road has a large, free on-site car park, and we have both cash and card turnstiles available. Season tickets and membership discounts are not valid for cup fixtures.
Adults: £8
Concessions: £6
Under 16s: £2 (FREE with a Hinckley AFC Junior membership card)
