The Match Background

United Counties League Premier Division North football makes a welcome return to The MKM Ground on Saturday afternoon as the Greens open what they’ll hope is an historic 2024/2025 campaign. The Greens missed out on play-off football by a single point at the end of last season and the aim is simply to go one better this time around and make sure the Greens are firmly planning towards a play-off semi-final date come closing day on April 21st. It’s a tough and competitive Premier Division North field that awaits the Greens this season though and the task ahead certainly looks a formidable one, particularly considering the quality of opposition promoted from step six last season. With Premier Division North now back up to a complement of 20 teams, the Greens are set to renew rivalries with a string of local sides, most notably with promoted trio Bourne Town, Newark Town and Harrowby United. Further ‘derbies’ remain in the offing against sides like Newark & Sherwood United, Lincoln United and Boston Town to name a few, and with sides like Melton Town and Skegness Town also looking to continue play-off momentum, the task ahead of the Greens looks as tough as any in recent seasons.

For Tom Ward and his players though, a challenge is exactly what they thrive on, and they’ll welcome Hucknall Town on the opening weekend full of optimism and looking to take three points on the opening day of the season for the third successive campaign. Ward will be wary of how important a good start may be come the end of the season having lost out by such fine margins last campaign, and he will be eager to see his new charges hit the ground running in an ultra-competitive division. If the Greens are to start with a bang though, they’ll need to be in top shape from the start with a rejuvenated and hopeful Hucknall Town side the visitors to NG34 on Saturday. The Yellows survived relegation by a hairs breadth last season and will hope the coming campaign is far less traumatic, not least because two sides are to be relegated at the end of this season, rather than one. So, with both sides eyeing competitive starts to the campaign, and both sides feeling they’ve a point to prove, it promises to be a fascinating opening day at The MKM… Let’s go!

Team News

Player/Manager Tom Ward will start the new campaign facing somewhat of a defensive crisis already with a string of players absent due to suspension and injury. Ward himself will be sidelined for two games after getting sent off during pre-season at Newark Town, while brother Charlie will also be suspended following his accumulation of yellow cards last season. That will make it a hat-trick of absent Wards, with Max also sidelined, but due to injury rather than suspension. He’s joined on the injury list by fellow centre back Kyle Watkins who pulled a hamstring at Newark a fortnight ago while his replacement, Cameron Hill, will also be absent for two games as a result of a historic suspension at his former club.

It all mounts to somewhat of a makeshift backline that could be forced to start on Saturday with Latrell Patterson the only fit and available centre back. He could be joined in the heart of defence by new signing Jack Arbon who has yet to feature for the Greens, while fellow new man Ben Robson has been known to fill in at centre back in the past.

There could be as many as eleven debutants on Saturday, including the returning Joe Smith who rejoins the Greens after spells at Lincoln United and Boston Town last season. He’ll likely be a pivotal piece of the puzzle not just on Saturday, but for the entire season going forward as part of what looks to be an exciting and pacy attacking quartet. Heading that group will be new man Tyrell Shannon-Lewis who joins the Greens from Quorn AFC. He has impressed during the Greens pre-season schedule, not least with two goals during the Greens 5-3 defeat at Grantham Town last Saturday.

The Opposition

Opponents Hucknall Town arrive in Lincolnshire with renewed hope and vigour after putting a troubling last campaign behind them. Surviving by the skin on their teeth at the expense of Pinchbeck United, the Yellows were in constant danger of an immediate return to step six for much of the season – reaching March with just one win on the board. That return was somewhat of a surprise with the Yellows debuting in the United Counties League Premier Division North on the back of a well-earned promotion from Division One the season before last. That was expected to be the catalyst for a rise back up the non-league pyramid for a side who’ve graced the heights of Conference North in the past, but instead the Yellows spent much of the campaign with their eyes over their shoulders. It indeed took a Greens victory at Pinchbeck United during the final week of the campaign to finally secure their step five status, but the fact they’d put themselves in a position to have survival in their hands was an impressive feat for new manager Reece Limbert and his team. Their arrival coincided with an upturn in form as the Yellows displayed bags of grit and determination, proving stubborn opposition for many, and building their game on defensive solidity. They coupled that newfound defensive nous with a couple of vital wins that ultimately saw them to safety and Limbert will be expecting his side to continue that momentum into a new season and propel the Yellows up the table.

They arrive in Lincolnshire with a rejuvenated squad littered with emerging talent and a string of experienced faces. Joe Ashurst was the key man in their revival last season, impressing against the Greens in back-to-back meetings in February with his ability to get the Yellows moving on the turnover and pushing forward. Now with experienced strikers like Bradley Wells and Niall Towle ahead of him, the Yellows will be hoping to be much more dangerous in front of goal this season. Wells himself was a late-season signing by Limbert who saw potential in his extensive experience across the non-league pyramid and repaid that faith by scoring one of the Yellows goals in their end-of-season, relegation six-pointer with Pinchbeck United.

Suggestions that the Yellows are moving in the right direction were made by Limbert following his sides 6-0 defeat to Mansfield Town last week. The Stags bought a full first team squad and more than held their own for 75 minutes before succumbing to a flurry of late goals, with the League One sides manager, Nigel Clough, departing with words of high praise for the non-league side. It is of course, difficult to judge sides on pre-season, but there is a general acknowledgement that Hucknall will be a far improved side to the one seen last season, and they’ll be equally keen to get their campaign off to a winning start.

Previous Meetings

The Greens and the Yellows had previously never met before, in a quirk of the fixture list, meeting twice in a week last February. The Greens were first triumphant in a scrappy affair at The MKM Ground – Ryan Lennon the hero on the day, bagging a brace for the home side. The return fixture at The RM Stadium took place exactly a week later and the Greens were again victorious, this time, 2-0. That scoreline scarcely showed the full story though and the host could feel aggrieved that they’d not taken advantage of an impressive overall performance, but alas, goals from Akeel Francis and Charlie Ward did the damage for the Greens, wrapping up back-to-back victories.

The Match Details

Admission to The MKM Ground on Saturday afternoon is priced at £7 for adults and £4 for concessions with under-sixteen’s free (alongside a paying adult). There is also a military discount available when showing the relative documentation for £5. We can accept both cash and card at the turnstiles and at the bar and snack bar which will be open throughout the game. The club have moved to an online matchday programme for the forthcoming season. On the gate you’ll find copies of our complimentary printed matchday teamsheet which provides you with a QR code link to our full, digital matchday programme. Inside you’ll find all your usual content alongside a series of fresh features for the new season. Saturday’s match referee is Paul McVey, and he is assisted on the day by Chris Giles and Joanne Mackenzie. Kick-off at The MKM Ground is scheduled for 3.00PM.

Words; Oliver Atkin