UP NEXT, the miners look to follow up last weekend’s victory as they welcome mid-table Hucknall Town to Greenwich Avenue as they look to go into the Christmas period occupying the playoff positions.

Kimberley come into this fixture after a first win since October, appropriately against Hucknall. With what was the best performance in a long time, the miners will go into tomorrow’s match in better spirits against an opposition that will provide a stern test.

Hucknall Town head into the fixture amidst a run of disappointing form having themselves not won since October although with only six matches played. This run sees them sitting six points behind the p[layoff spots in tenth position.

Last weekend, Kimberley welcomed AFC Mansfield to Greenwich Avenue having beaten them twice at the Forest Town Arena this season. Captain, Josh Timson opened the scoring after twenty minutes, slotting low past the goalkeeper after being played in by Fin Ryder. Eden Homer equalised for the visitors just three minutes into the second half with a free header from a corner after being left completely unmarked and unchallenged. Theo Woerner-Peacock Then unleashed a twenty five yard volley after Masfield thought they’d cleared a corner. A stunning strike. Timson made it 3-1 just four minutes later with a stunning back post header after a great cross from Sacha Markelic. Tempers flared towards the end of the game as an awful two footed tackle went in on Dan Tuck by the Mansfield number eleven, having already pulled Zak Sandhu down seconds before. Somehow, after a melee, the player managed to only receive a yellow card and stayed on the pitch after doing what he and the rest of his team had been doing for most of the match. A third win in a row for Kimberley over AFC Mansfield. Great win
Final Score - KMW 3-1 AFC Mansfield

Hucknall Town’s last match was two weeks ago having had their match last weekend postponed due to the weather. On the sixth, they welcomed Melton Town to Aerial Way. They found themselves two goals down after half an hour as first Ezekial Danzo and then Kalis Gore scored for Melton, with Taylor Jaine grabbing a goal back seven minutes before half time. Luis Parkes equalised just after half time before Melton scored two more through David Chapman and Theo Baker.
Final Score - Hucknall Town 2-4 Melton Town

LAST TIME AROUND

On the 22nd of October, the miners made the short trip to Aerial way, where they faced Hucknall Town. Kole Lambert opened the scoring for Kimberley on the half hour mark to lead at half time. Ex-Kimberley man, Aaron Coyle equalised with nine minutes of normal time remaining. Lambert then bagged his second four minutes later to take the points for Kimberley. These goals took Kole's total to thirteen goals in fifteen matches, with six of those coming in his last three appearances.
Final Score - Hucknall Town 1-2 Kimberley Miners Welfare

The final match of last season saw Kimberley need a win and both Sleaford and Gresley to lose to be certain of avoiding relegation. Captain Ryan Wheatley opened the scoring just four minutes into the game with a header to lead at half time with the team still second bottom. With no pressure, Oliver Seeby and then Aaron Coyle, now of Hucknall scored before Shay Thompson-Harris was sent off for the miners. Kimberley kept Hucknall out for the final half an hour of the match, during which both Sleaford and Gresley gave up wins in their matches and eventually lost, meaning Sleaford went down. This was the biggest win in Kimberley's season.

The first meeting last season saw the two sides meet 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

Both sides will be desperately looking for a win, with Kimberley picking up a vital win last weekend as Hucknall had a week off. A huge match between local rivals will see plenty of action. We look forward to a great game before Christmas.

There’s plenty of parking and the clubhouse and bar will be open.

Kick off is at 15:00

See you there