THE GAME
- Ilkeston Town v Hednesford Town
- Northern Premier League Premier Division
- Microlise New Manor Ground, Awsworth Road, Ilkeston, Derbyshire DE78JF
- Saturday 13th December 2025
- Kick Off 3pm.
THE HOME SIDE
Ilkeston are in 16th place in the NPL Premier League table with 22 points from 19 games. At home they have won three, drawn one and lost five, scoring ten goals and conceding 12.The wins have come against Workington (3-2), Hyde (3-0) and Prescot Cables (2-0) with defeats versus Stocksbridge Park Steels (0-1), Ashton (0-2), Cleethorpes (0-3), Whitby (0-1) and Gainsborough Trinity (0-1). Their only draw was 2-2 with Warrington Rylands. Leading league goal scorers are Harvey Kirby-Moore with five, Dylan Youmbi with four while Jamie Walker and Sam Parker both have three. Ilkeston have received seven red cards so far this season in all competitions. Tom Marshall who will be suspended on Saturday has picked up two as has Dylan Youmbi while Sam Essien, Sam Parker and Colin Daniels have had one each, the latter in the game at Keys Park in September.
THE PITMEN
After the entertaining draw against Warrington Rylands on Saturday, Hednesford remain at the top of the NPL Premier League table with 40 points from 20 games although their lead was cut to three points after a seventh successive win for Hebburn who were the only team in the top six to taste victory. Hednesford’s draw ended their run of eight consecutive league and cup wins but they haven’t lost on the road since 14th October. Dom McHale will be missing, sitting out a one match ban following his two yellow cards against Rylands, but Joe Doyle-Charles will be available as his suspension does not affect league games. The club have also recalled Niall Watson from his loan spell at Warrington Town where had scored seven goals in 12 games.
CURRENT FORM
In the current form table Hednesford are in second place with 16 points from their last six league games and a GD of +8 while Ilkeston are 20th with four points from six games and a GD of -5.
- HTFC: DWWWWW
- ITFC: LLLLWD
THE GAFFER
Gavin Hurren said: “I tipped Ilkeston to be top five at the start of the season, and I still think they can do that. Good team, good manager, tough place to go on the 4G pitch but we’ll be ready.”
PREVIOUS ENCOUNTERS
Due to their geographical positions both clubs have yoyoed between the Southern and Northern Premier Leagues over the last 25 years. During this time, they have met in the league 14 times and The Pitmen’s visits to the New Manor Ground have not been particularly fruitful. They have won just twice, 1-0 in 2008/09 thanks to a late Tyronne Barnett goal and 2-0 in 2016/17 when Tom Thorley scored twice. The last visit there in the relegation season of 2022/23 saw a 4-1 win for the home side, former Pitman Leroy Lita opening the scoring with Kieron Fenton (2) and Latrell Patterson adding to it while Chay Tilt replied for the visitors.
MATCHDAY DETAILS
The Microlise New Manor Ground has a capacity of 3,029 and had an artificial pitch installed in 2021. The club’s average attendance so far this season is 377 with a high of 526 against Hyde and a low of 210 when they played Stocksbridge Park Steels. The team’s home kit is red and white striped shirts and white shorts. Admission will be £13 adults, £9 concessions, £2 U16s with free admission for U11s with a paying adult at the turnstiles .A digital programme can be downloaded from the club’s website.
