UP NEXT, after a devastating home loss to Ashby Ivanhoe on Saturday, Kimberley must win at Hucknall Town and hope that either Sleaford or Gresley lose if they are to survive in the United Counties League Premier Division North. After the reserves stunning league win at the same venue on Saturday, the miners will be hoping to make it two Kimberley wins in three days at Hucknall.

After what was a shocking start to the season, the miners have recovered well since Christmas, winning eight and drawing one of fifteen matches. The poor start has made the task at hand extremely difficult and there have been times where the team has looked to be dragging themselves out of danger, only to be knocked back again. The “win one, lose one” pattern has now gone on for the last twelve matches, meaning that the final match of the season must now continue to follow that pattern while hoping that Gresley lose away at Ashby or Sleaford fail to beat Boston Town.

Hucknall Town will head into the match in search of revenge after Kimberley came out on top at The Stag Ground on Boxing Day. They are in mixed form themselves after winning two, drawing once and losing twice in their last five fixtures. Sitting in mid-table, Hucknall cannot move any higher, but could drop several places without being in any risk of relegation.

Kimberley faced Ashby Ivanhoe at The Stag Ground on Saturday. Despite having the better of the first half an hour, Kimberley failed to capitalise and didn’t test the visiting goalkeeper. Ashby came into the game and were rewarded midway through the second half after a tame shot wasn’t dealt with and was followed up for a close range finish.

Hucknall had a long away trip to face Bourne Town on Saturday. The home side lead 2-0 at half time, but Hucknall came back into things in the second half with an early goal, only for Bourne to regain their two goal cushion just four minutes later. Hucknall grabbed a second with twenty minutes to go, setting up a nervous end to the game. Bourne held on to win 3-2 and keep alive a slim hope of winning the league on the final day. Hucknall were left in eleventh spot with nothing left to play for.

LAST TIME AROUND

The two sides last met in the league on Boxing Day at The Stag Ground. A close match saw the sides separated by an Aaron Coyle strike with twenty minutes to go, giving Kimberley only their second win of the season.

The home fixture last season came at the beginning of April this year as Hucknall were fighting relegation. With the match being goalless at half time, things sprung to life in the second half with goals from Ethan Clarke and Kole Lambert for the Miners being enough to take three points as only Ayleal Dill scored for Hucknall, with all three goals coming in a six minute period midway through the half.

The away match at Hucknall came on Boxing Day last Christmas. Again, the score was 0-0 at half time. Tom Eccleshall snatched the result for Kimberley with just ten minutes to go with the only goal of the game.

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 Counties League 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 the biggest game for the team since winning the league in 2022 gaining promotion to their current division. We need a win and one of Gresley and Sleaford to slip up.

Please come along and support the boys. We need you.