Hinckley AFC play their first league match in a fortnight with a first ever trip to second-placed Bilston Town on Saturday.
After two consecutive cup games, and a third on the road postponed due to the weather, Joe Conneely’s side are back in Division One action.
They have lost ground on the play-offs since beating Wolves Sporting at the end of October – partially due to the run of cup games and also back-to-back home defeats.
It means AFC sit ninth in the table, but are only five points off the play-offs and, along with Droitwich Spa, have played the fewest matches in the division. Hinckley have as many as four games in hand on some sides above them.
One of those sides towards the top are Bilston, who are second going into the game at Queen Street. They have won 13 and drawn two of their 20 games so far.
But they had lost three of their previous four league games until coming from 2-0 down to beat Heath Hayes last week, meaning they slipped back from leaders Dudley Town.
Only Dudley have scored more than Bilston, with ex-Wolves Sporting hotshot Dan Westwood leading the way on 18. But their defence has been their weaker suit, conceding 37 goals – the most of anyone in the top half. They, rather like Hinckley, have struggled to keep clean sheets with just two shutouts since mid-August.
A win would put either side back on track after recent blips, in what will be the first ever meeting between the two clubs.
In fact, the last time clubs from Hinckley and Bilston met each other was in 2001, in the Southern League Midland Division. Dean Thomas’ Hinckley United won the title that season, narrowly edging out Bilston who finished third.
Bilston play at Queen Street, Bilston, West Midlands, WV14 7EX.
