The two leading scorers in their respective leagues will go head-to-head tomorrow when Hinckley AFC travel to Paget Rangers in the Buildbase FA Vase, kick off 3pm.
As in the last round, when Hinckley triumphed over West Midlands Regional League high flyers Wolves Sporting, Carl Abbott’s side will come up against another side confident in front of goal when taking on Paget this weekend.
Currently second in Division Two of the Midland League, Paget have netted 28 times in their nine league games thus far, winning seven of them to put them four points behind table toppers Alvis Sporting, with a game in hand.
And in Dan Carter they have a man atop the Division Two goal charts, the striker having netted twenty times in fourteen games in all competitions this season.
Tomorrow’s hosts may play a division below Hinckley, but they have already beaten two higher level sides in the Vase this campaign and will be keen to make it a trio of upsets on Sunday.
It was Carter who scored both goals when Paget upset St Andrews in the last round of the Vase, while he also scored the 90th minute winner back in the second qualifying round that meant Paget triumphed over another Premier Division side – Highgate United.
Also in Paget’s ranks is Mark Bellingham – the former Hinckley striker who has scored ten goals this season and brought up his 700th career goal earlier this term (eight of them came for AFC).
Not to be outdone, Hinckley are Division One’s leading scorers and in captain Ryan Seal boast a man who has hit 23 goals already this term.
AFC have lost just one game in fourteen in all competitions and have scored 21 times in the last three games.
Four of those goals came at Coleshill Town twelve days ago, in a game played on a 3G pitch. AFC will face a similar proposition tomorrow on the newly laid 3G surface at Boldmere St Michaels’ ground, where Paget share.
In what promises to be a thrilling game between two attacking forces, a place in the third round – and the last 64 of the competition – is on offer along with £750 from the FA’s prize pot.
Paget groundshare with Midland League Premier Division outfit Boldmere St Michaels at their Trevor Brown Memorial Ground, Church Lane, Boldmere, Sutton Coldfield, B73 5RY.
Adults: £5
Concessions: £3
