UP NEXT, the reserves take things to the final game of the season as they make the trip to Hucknall Town Reserves in the knowledge that three points will win them the league.

Having given up the chance to wrap things up repeatedly over the last three matches, Kimberley will need some cool heads and composure as they face a home side who are in red hot form. Taking just two points from the last three matches, the miners are on their first “wobble” of the season and need to recover quickly if they are to win the league without relying on other results.

Hucknall Town Reserves go into the match with six wins from their last seven matches, the other being a draw, scoring twenty nine goals along the way, conceding just six. They are the only team unbeaten in the last six matches in the league. While they can’t go any higher than sixth spot, Hucknall would like nothing more than to finish the season by maintaining this fantastic run of form.

Pass Move Grin still have six more matches after Saturday. While they can’t finish any higher than fourth, they will still want to push for as high a finish as possible. With two wins in their last two matches, PMG represent a considerable threat to the miners this weekend.

Last weekend, Kimberley faced mid-table Pass Move Grin at The Stag Ground in a match that could have won them the league. PMG clearly hadn’t read the script as they raced into a three goal lead inside the first twenty minutes. The damage was done and an out of sorts Kimberley side grabbed two late goals through Brad Mee and Lewis Deavin. Too little, too late left the miners wondering what could have been. Onto this weekend.

Hucknall Town reserves played a midweek match under the lights at home against Beeston Old Boys. A comfortable night saw goals from Brad Lathall, Trevell Lindo, Callum Orange, substitute Than Huller and a brace for Reece Gatland in a 6-0 win.

LAST TIME AROUND

The two sides last met on the first weekend of the season at The Stag Ground. Bijan Pakrouz, Matt Smalley and Lewis Deavin scored in the first half for Kimberley, with Aaron Lewis grabbing a fourth. Trevell Lindo and Matt Gains scored for Hucknall in a 4-2 win for the Miners.

Before that, The last time the two sides met was in December last season at Hucknall. A goal from Reece Gatland was enough to take the points for Hucknall on that occasion.

The fixture at Kimberley last season was at the start of September. After going in at half time goalless, Dylan Thornley opened the scoring for Kimberley, only for Josh Pearson to level the scores up for a 1-1 draw.

A LITTLE ABOUT THE OPPOSITION

Hucknall Town FC is a family friendly Community Football Club established in 1943 as Hucknall Colliery Welfare FC. The Club changed its name to Hucknall Town in 1987. From 1999 to 2004 we played in the Northern Premier League Premier Division, finishing Champions in 2003-04. However, as our Watnall Road stadium didn’t meet the then standards of the Football Conference, we were refused promotion to the Conference National Division. In 2005-06 we reached the Final of the FA Trophy losing 6 - 5 on penalties to Grays Athletic at the end of extra time following a 1-1 draw at full-time.

The Club was relegated at the end of the 2008-09 season and a further relegation following at the end of 2010-11, saw us drop into the NPL Division One South.

Further financial problems saw us relegated again, two levels in 2012-13 to the Central Midlands Football League Division South. In 2014-15 we won the CMFL League Cup.

After several years of financial difficulty, which have now been overcome with extremely hard work and commitment and with work commencing on our new stadium, there is much optimism for the future.
In the 2018/19 season the Club celebrated its 75th anniversary finishing as Champions of the Central Midlands League Division South and were promoted to the step 6 East Midlands Counties League Premier to start our rise back up the football pyramid.

After two seasons seriously affected by the Covid-19 pandemic, 2019-20 & 2020-21 and with the EMCL ceasing to exist, Town moved into the United CountiesLeague Division One for the start of the 2021-22 season.

Honours

Northern Premier League:- Premiership Champions 2003-04
Chairman’s Cup Winners:- 2002-03
FA Trophy Runners Up 2005-06
Northern Counties East League:- Premier Division Champions 1997-98
League Cup Winners 1993-94, 1996-97, 1997-98
President’s Cup Winners 1996-97
Nottingham Alliance Senior Division Champions 1976-77, 1977-78, 1987-88,
1988-89
Division One Champions 1972-73, 1980-81, 1986-87
Division Two Champions 1970-71
Intermediate Cup Winners 1972-73, 1978-79, 1979-80, 1980-81, 1983-84
League Winners 1978-79
Central Midlands League Supreme Division Champions 1989-90, 1990-91
Central Midlands Football League Division South Champions 2018-19
Central Midlands League Cup Winners 1989-90, 1990-91, 1991-92, 2014-15,
Runners Up 2016-17, 2018-19

FINALLY

This is a huge match for both sides. Kimberley can guarantee the league championship with a win, while Hucknall Town Reserves will be able to continue their fantastic run of form towards the end of the season.

This is a huge weekend for the club