MATCH PREVIEW: Hitchin Town (H) | Southern League Premier Central

 




AFC Rushden & Diamonds turn their attention back to league action this Saturday (25th) as they take on Hitchin Town in a bid to climb the Southern League Premier Central table.

The Diamonds return to Hayden Road after almost a month on the road and Andy Peaks will be looking for his side to replicate their good away form in front of their own supporters.

"I've had Hitchin watched a few times, to be honest, so I know quite a lot about them", said Peaks.

"I think the team will change from time to time, they had a couple of departures and some others coming in. They play a good brand of football, we'll train tomorrow night, after tonight [Wednesday] with a game plan ready for Saturday but I'm expecting it to be a tough game".

An opportunity to break into the top half?

There can be no doubt that Rushden, on paper, were handed a tricky start to the campaign and so it proved with three defeats in their opening four league matches and an FA Cup exit. However, with four points from their last two league games, coupled alongside some exciting late signings, Diamonds have sparked a flicker of optimism that they could yet compete at the top end of the league this term.

Andy Peaks' young team are continuing to gel with the likes of Patrick Casey, Nathan Tshikuna and Will Jones all harnessing more responsibility and subsequently earning more starts. If Diamonds can maintain their upward trajectory, they still may well be a force to be reckoned with.

Last five: LLWDW

How are Hitchin Town getting on?

The Hertfordshire side have made an indifferent start to the season having registered two wins from their opening six league matches and they sit 17th in the table. The Canaries have struggled to threaten the top half of the division in recent years but have always retained enough quality to avoid being dragged into relegation battles.

Mark Burke's side are now having to contend with losing Callum Stead, their top scorer, who has joined Northern Premier League side South Shields. However, as Andy Peaks alluded to on Wednesday night, they have been able to make some new additions to the group so how Hitchin set up on Saturday will be an interesting dynamic to follow.

Last five: LWLWL

Previous Meetings

AFC R&D have historically had the upper hand over the Canaries and some memorable fixtures at that - most notably the 7-1 demolition at Hayden Road last season with now Banbury striker Chris Wreh scoring four goals inside a manic ten-minute spell.

As far as memorable encounters go, we cannot forget the famous 4-3 victory at Top Field in January 2019 where Jack Bowen and Matt Berry-Hargreaves scored two late goals to snatch the three points.

Other meetings include a 2-1 Diamonds win at Hayden Road in November 2018 and a 1-1 draw at Top Field the following season.

Where is the match taking place?

AFC Rushden & Diamonds are back at Hayden Road this weekend as they look to secure a third league win of the campaign. Ticketing arrangements are available on the official club website. The match will commence at 15:00.

Hayden Road Sports Ground
Hayden Road
Rushden
Northamptonshire
NN10 0HX

How can I follow the match?

If you are unable to attend Saturday's game, I will be there alongside the Radio Diamonds team to bring you live commentary from the match. You can find live text updates on the official club Twitter feed (@AFCRD).

Be sure to watch the post-match interviews on AFCRDTV after the game and have a read of the match report, to be written by Ollie Mortimer.

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