Match preview by Cayden Sands

Overview:

Thackley return to the Meridian Stadium at Dennyfield on Saturday when they welcome Handsworth FC to BD10 for their latest NCEL Premier Division fixture.

This fixture comes following an extended rest for the team following a run of two games in three days that saw the team defeat both Campion AFC and Winterton Rangers.

As the season heads towards its conclusion, it is important that the Dennyboys pick up as many points as possible, with the race for play-offs looking very much like it could go down to the last game of the season.

The Opposition:

Handsworth travel to the Meridian Stadium at Dennyfield with their play-off hopes hanging in the balance, with the team essentially needing to win every game in order to have a chance at qualifying for the end of season extravaganza.

At this stage of the season, the ‘Ambers’ sit ninth in the table on 48 points, with them being in touching distance of the likes of Campion and Pickering Town.

Since the previous meeting between themselves and the Dennyboys in the NCEL League Cup, Handsworth have picked up some notable victories, including a 4-2 victory away at fellow Sheffield club Hallam FC, a 4-3 triumph against fellow play-off chasers Campion and a 7-0 thumping of relegation contenders Goole AFC.

The club’s top scorer is Scott Ruthven, who has managed to score a very impressive 27 goals across all competitions, with 23 of these goals coming across the team’s 32 league matches.

Previous Meeting:

Thackley and Handsworth’s previous meeting in the league back in October 2024 at Olivers Mount resulted in a goal fest with the Dennyboys taking the 3 points in a 6-3 thriller. On the day Antony Brown and Finn Donovan both scored a brace with Tawheed Ahmed and the Skipper Ben Grech-Brooksbank getting the other two goals.

There was another meeting this season which also took place at the Meridian Stadium at Dennyfield just a few weeks later in November 2024 in this season’s JCP Construction NCEL League Cup. This game saw the visitors progress to the next round of the cup by a 3-1 scoreline, with a goal courtesy of Slater Barnes failing to get the Dennyboys the result they desired on the occasion.

The third meeting of the season is shaping up to be an intriguing meeting with both teams needing to get the three points as the season draws to a close.

Match Sponsor:

Thank you to Torus Construction Group Ltd who as well as being our "Back of Shirt" sponsor are also today's Match Sponsor.

Admission Prices:

Adults: £6
Concessions: £4
Dogs allowed on a lead.