HARROWBY UNITED v HINCKLEY AFC: THE MATCH PREVIEW...

 Harrowby United v Hinckley AFC: 

The Mowdog’s Preview…

This will be my first visit to Dickens Road and it should be a decent United Counties League Division 1 clash between the Arrows and their ex-Midland League visitors Hinckley AFC. 

DICKENS ROAD...

Harrowby lie 6th in the league standings so far this term, 7 points behind leaders Kimberley Miners Welfare, having won 7 of 12 games, drawing 1 and losing 4. The Arrows’ goal difference is currently a healthy +15 and they have amassed 22 points.

Hinckley AFC have a game in hand over their hosts, having won 5, drawn 3 and lost 3 of their 11 matches. Their goal difference is currently +12, they have 18 points and currently lie 12th in the standings.

The Arrows have been involved in a couple of high scoring encounters, winning 2-5 on the road at Birstall United Social, where Dan Durkin nabbed a hat-trick, with Jack McGovern and Harry Olivant completing the scoring. They also hammered Bourne Town 6-1 at Dickens Road, with the prolific Durkin netting four times in that game, whilst Jack Gurney and Charlie Hart added the other two.

I'M TOLD DANNY HAS 14 GOALS IN ALL COMPETITIONS THIS TERM...

Recently, Harrowby have lost twice on the bounce, first at Saffron Dynamo, where Dynamo’s Elliott Butler scored three times and Durkin and McGovern struck for the Arrows. Next came a 1-4 home defeat to Radford, with Durkin getting the consolation goal for United.

However, the Arrows visited Ingles in the 2nd Qualifying Round of the FA Vase, winning 0-2, courtesy of strikes by Alex Hales and an 85th minute goal by, er, Durkin again…

In the next round of the FA Vase, the Arrows face the task of playing away at Gresley Rovers on 23rd October.

The last Harrowby contest saw Borrowash Victoria beaten 6-0 last weekend at Dickens Road, where Durkin scored once, added to by a Makhale Mahlatsi strike and an own-goal, although McGovern managed a smart hat-trick, his third goal being scored in the final minute.

HARRY OLIVANT HAS JUST LEFT THE ARROWS FOR SPALDING UNITED... 

Hinckley’s season could be described as ‘inconsistent’, although players like Lewis Rankin, Isa Abraham and Mikkel Hirst have been missing from the team for a while, it appears.

LEWIS RANKIN...

Solid wins early on were nullified by poor losses as the season progressed but of course Hinckley’s participation in the FA Vase was er, memorable…

A 6-0 win v Gedling Miners Welfare, courtesy of goals by Rankin (2), Tom Weale, Lewis Padmore, Jack Edwards and Ryan Murphy was a decent enough home debut in the United Counties League Division 1. 

TOM WEALE: 8 GOALS THIS SEASON...

Rankin scored another brace at Bourne Town in a 1-4 victory, supported by strikes from Kai Gibbs and Tyson Knight, then when AFC visited The Boatmen of Dunkirk, Jeremie Agholor, Weale (2) and Rankin forged a 0-4 success. 

After two league losses, came the remarkable 0-18 FA Vase win at St Martins, who of course play at TNS’s ground in Oswestry and although I was due to cover that match, traffic chaos prevented me from starting out from Solihull, even at the early time of 11.50am. What a match to miss… 

JACK EDWARDS...

The goals were scored on that day by Agholor, Charlie Evans (3), Murphy (2), Ryan Slinn, Gibbs (4), Joel Heeley (4), Ben Whitehead, Ben Kendrick and Jack Edwards. 

Strangely, AFC were then drawn away to Leicester Road in the 2nd Qualifying Round, at Hinckley United’s old ground, hence a contest of epic proportions and tension was expected. The renamed Hinckley LRFC beat AFC by a single goal, even though a home player, Nathan Asthill was dismissed. Five AFC players were cautioned during the encounter…

RYAN MURPHY...

Back in league action, after leading 0-2 at Barrow Town courtesy of two Weale strikes, the hosts scored three times in a quarter-hour to snatch the lead and it needed a 95th minute goal by Weale to complete his own hat-trick and earn a point for his team. The improvement continued at St Andrews, where AFC won 1-2, the goals being scored by Gibbs and Weale.

Last weekend however, Hinckley were hammered 1-5 at home by Hucknall Town, with Evans getting on the scoresheet, which was followed by a better result on Tuesday, a 0-4 victory at rain soaked Lutterworth Athletic. Goals by Padmore, Edwards, Drew Kear and Evans.

AFC GOALIE MATT HILL...

Full coverage of the match will be at themowdog.blogspot.com from Saturday evening, including video highlights with full commentary, screenshots, images and an independent match report…

The Mowdog…