The third and final part of a three-game sequence of home matches concludes this Saturday with yet another promotion-chasing side are our visitors to Bridge Road. Northampton O.N. Chenecks have made an impressive return to the UCL Premier Division South and moved up into the play-off positions last weekend with a 2-0 win over Lutterworth Town. Their success this season should come as no surprise, given that last season they won promotion after suffered just one defeat on their way to winning the Spartan South Midlands League Division One Championship by a massive 17-points margin. They are currently on a run of four wins in their last five games. Coincidentally, the Stutes have also won four of our last five game, so we could be in for a cracker of a game on Saturday afternoon.
The game will be the first ever league fixture between our two clubs, but if the name sounds familiar, it is because we met once before in an FA Cup Extra Preliminary Round tie back in August 2017. On that occasion, we were the victims of what the Cambridge Independent described as a “smash and grab raid” at Bridge Road when the only goal of the game was scored when the Stutes defence stopped playing in expectation of a Referee’s whistle that didn’t come. Max York and Joe Sutton both featured in that costly defeat and have waited seven and a half years for the chance to exact revenge. That chance comes this Saturday with a 2.00pm kick-off.
We can expect the Chenecks side to include Lewis Irwin, who currently tops the league’s goalscoring chart with 23 goals to his name. Encouragingly, Irwin has not found the net since scoring a hattrick against Leicester Nirvana three weeks ago, which represents something of a barren spell for the striker!
Histon manager Chris Nunn is optimistic that Tom Binder will be available for the game following the injury he picked up back in mid-December. Nunny will also have new defensive signing Theo Braham available following his move from Wisbech Town.
The turnstiles will be open from 12.30 with a live FA Cup 4th Round tie showing on the TV in the club bar. Entry to the ground is £10 for adults, concessions £6 and Under 17s £2. Accompanied Under 12s are admitted free.
The match sponsors this week are KM Cleaning Contractors who offer commercial cleaning services to businesses within a 20-mile radius of Newmarket. All enquiries to Kevin Badcock on 07968 449256.
Your support for the Stutes over the past few games has been amazing. Let’s make it the same again on Saturday ahead of our run of three away games, starting at March Town United the following weekend.
