Saturday 6th October 2018
FUTURE LIONS UNITED COUNTIES LEAGUE-PREMIER DIVISION
Unbeaten leaders Daventry Town are at home to fourth placed Eynesbury Rovers in what looks like the game of the day in the Premier Division tomorrow. Rovers went down 0-1 at home to Rugby last weekend, seven days after crushing Deeping 3-0 away so if they show the form from fifteen days ago they could become the first team to take all three points off Daventry, but then again the hosts were 3-0 winners at Sleaford last Saturday and are still very much on their game.
Pinchbeck United are the other unbeaten side and they have now gone a year since they last suffered the bitter taste of defeat in the league. They are at home to Whitworth who pulled themselves off the bottom last weekend and are starting to get some results behind them and will certainly give The Knights a game tomorrow, especially as the home side are likely to be missing several players through injury, but I think a draw would be as much as The Flourmen could dream of from this one. I would still predict a home win though.
Eighth placed Desborough Town host a Holbeach United side who have moved on from a winless blip a few weeks ago and this one could go either way, but I fancy the Tigers to edge it.
There isn’t too much between Deeping Rangers and their guests Oadby Town so far this season, with both sides losing just once in the league to date and the home side now have to try and replace Dan Schiavi which will not prove an easy task. They have plenty of fire-power at the club and will be hard to stop, but they will miss his creativity and drive going forward. They could also be suffering a hang-over from last weekend’s superb comeback from 3-1 down to win 4-3 with two very late goals and The Poachers might just come away with something from this one.
Rugby Town have been a little hit-and-miss since joining the league as many people’s favourites in the summer and they are at home to a Newport Pagnell Town team who are starting to show their true colours after a very poor start. The Swans were 5-0 winners in the KO Cup on Wednesday and will start this game full of confidence.
In-form Peterborough Northern Star will be favourites to pick up all three points at home to O.N Chenecks after the visitor’s heavy home defeat in midweek, but before that the Northampton side had been starting to lift themselves away from the drop-zone.
Sleaford Town have slipped away somewhat recently and will need to get themselves back on track at home to bottom placed Rothwell Corinthians.
Leicester Nirvana continue to under achieve and have a tough home game against Cogenhoe United. The away side were beaten 4-3 at home last Saturday after leading 3-1 at the break and will be chomping at the bit to get back on the pitch and put matters right for their gaffer, whilst Nirvana will be smarting from their 4-0 defeat at Holbeach.
There is a chink of light shining through the black cloud at Boston Town just recently and they are likely to give their hosts Wellingborough Town a tougher game than they would have done a few weeks ago.
Two teams who could well be embroiled in the relegation battle this season meet at Northampton Road in a Leicestershire derby where Harborough Town entertain Kirby Muxloe. Both sides will be looking to avoid defeat in this one and that could lead to a very tight game where a goal may be decisive.
FUTURE LIONS UNITED COUNTIES LEAGUE-DIVISION ONE
New leaders Anstey Nomads have won their last six league games and have now amassed 36 goals in their unbeaten first seven games as a UCL club, so it is difficult to see them failing to beat Thrapston Town at Cropston Road tomorrow.
Melton Town are also unbeaten and are behind Nomads only on goal difference and they entertain the division’s only other unbeaten club Lutterworth Town in an early season six-pointer tomorrow. I have to say that if I wasn’t on club duty tomorrow this is the game I would head for and I shall look forward to seeing how this one pans out during the afternoon.
Blackstones have a 100% home record before tomorrow’s game against Sileby Rangers and with their visitor’s having lost their way in recent weeks that record looks unlikely to be broken just yet.
Fifth placed Aylestone Park really shouldn’t have any trouble seeing off a Raunds Town side who have yet to pick up a point this season.
Lutterworth Athletic should also be home winners in their game against manger-less Holwell Sports who are struggling for results recently.
It’s seventeenth against nineteenth at Jubilee Park and with Huntingdon Town having shipped 23 goals in their last three outings, surely this is the perfect opportunity for Long Buckby to grab their first win of the season and overtake their hosts in the table.
Bourne Town put the memory of a couple of absolute thrashings behind them with a great win last weekend and if they can repeat that performance then they could do the same against Burton Park Wanderers with the visitors still looking for consistency.
Harrowby United and Irchester United are both blowing hot and cold this season, so the Dickens Road clash is impossible to predict.
Bugbrooke St Michaels are at home to struggling St Andrews with a result either way meaning a seasonal first. The Badgers have yet to win at home this season (although they have done it twice on their travels) while the visitors have yet to taste victory at all in the league.
Finally, Rushden & Higham United and Birstall United meet at Hayden Road with The Lankies hoping to win at home in the league for the first time this season, but the Leicester club are enjoying a decent start and will be confident of ensuring that doesn’t change tomorrow.
