Match Preview: Highgate United (a)

The Midland League First Division’s top two meet tomorrow afternoon when second place Hinckley AFC travel to The Coppice to face top of the table Highgate United, kick off 3pm.

The two teams last met in September, when three second half goals ensured that ‘Gate ran out comfortable victors, but since then Carl Abbott’s AFC side have gone 24 games unbeaten in a run that has seen them rise to second.

Although tomorrow’s hosts are only one point ahead of Hinckley, they have four games in hand and the title looks to be theirs to lose.

Highgate crashed to defeat in the Worcestershire Senior Urn Final on Tuesday evening, losing 3-0 to Malvern Town, but they will relish a return to league action: they have won their last three league games, scoring eleven goals in the process.

But confidence in the Hinckley camp will still be sky high following dramatic late goals in their last two fixtures a fortnight ago. After Marco Adaggio scored a 96th minute equaliser at Bolehall Swifts, Dom Smith prodded home an 88th minute winner at Bromsgrove Sporting to send the Hinckley supporters into raptures on both occasions.

Tomorrow’s game could see the return of Matt Gardner to a Hinckley shirt. The striker re-signed for the club last week from Bromsgrove, and scored seventeen goals for Hinckley earlier in the season.

Carl Abbott will, though, be without Michael Healy, who is likely to miss the majority of AFC’s remaining games through injury, although Abbott hopes he will return in time for the Jelson Homes Senior Cup Final at the end of the month.

Highgate play at The Coppice, Tythe Barn Lane, Shirley, Solihull, B90 1PH, and the ground is less than two miles from the A34.

Adults: £5

Concessions: £2