It’s a big day in the history of Darlaston Town tomorrow when the Club will host its first ever game at Step 4 of the National League Structure in the Northern Premier League Midlands Division, when they welcome Hinckley LR tomorrow afternoon to the Paycare Stadium.

Hinckley LR have played three league games so far this season and so far, have no points to show for all their efforts after they recorded three unfortunate losses, one in injury time.

Hinckley Leicester Road’s season started a week later than Darlaston’s when they received a bye in the Emirates FA Cup due to their fourth place finish in the same Division. In the play-off semi-finals they lost to the eventual winners on penalties Harborough Town, who Darlaston travel to play next Saturday in the Emirates FA Cup.

Like all clubs in the division their opening league game was on 10th August 2024 when they welcomed well fancied Corby Town to their Leicester Road Stadium, two second half goals gave the visitors an opening day win.

A mid-week fixture followed with a trip to Shepshed Dynamo which saw a 2-1 loss after both sides went into half-time at 1-1, Ben Humphries scoring for Hinckley LR on the stroke of half-time after James Shaw scored for Shepshed two minutes earlier. Shepshed’s cruel winner came in injury time to inflict a second loss on Hinkley.

Next up Hinckley had an away tie to Heanor Town in the Emirates FA Cup Preliminary Round, a 3-2 loss after being two down at half-time, Hinckley scoring two goals in the last 10 minutes of the game with Don Brennan and Liam Reid scoring from the penalty spot, sandwiched between the winner from Heanor.

Last Tuesday evening Hinckley welcomed Walsall Wood for their first mid-week home game of the season and suffered their fourth loss of the season, third in the league when Kaiman Anderson scored twice for the visitors.

Hinckley LR have been unlucky with the results of their games so far, and under no circumstances should their position in the table suggest they are an easy touch, because tomorrow will be far from that.

Meanwhile Darlaston secured their first point of the season in their second game of the league season with an extremely hard-earned draw at Coventry Sphinx on Tuesday evening, both sides had chances to take all three points, but it was clearly that defences were on top for both teams.

Tomorrow’s fixture being the clubs home debut in the NPL, Darlaston’s volunteers will be looking to create an impression off the field and on it Darlaston’s management team will be looking to post their first win of the season and will want to continue their good form at the Paycare Stadium.

The Gates and Bar open at 1.00 p.m.
The bar will of course be serving its usual pre-match hot and cold menu.
Kick-off 3.00 p.m.

Entrance: Adults £9.00, Concessions £7.00, Under 14’s FREE

Programme: £2.00 available from the Pay Hut
The team sheet will be published in the bar before kick-off.

We hope as many Darlaston supporters as possible will be at the Paycare Stadium tomorrow, for what is another historic event in the club’s history.