Pinchbeck United face perhaps their toughest game of the Uhlsport UCL Premier Division season on Saturday.
The Knights make the trip to Long Eaton United, who are unbeaten so far this campaign and sit fifth in the early standings despite having played considerably less games than everybody else around them.
Having already dispatched a Melton Town side (3-0) who beat Pinchbeck 4-1 on Saturday, it might prove to be a long day.
Long Eaton are early favourites to win the league this season – with Knights boss Lewis Thorogood expecting them to end up in the top two. But the Pinchbeck chief reckons his side have enough about them to cause at least a few problems in Derbyshire.
“I think that if they don’t win the league they will be second,” said Thorogood. “They are a step four standard club on and off the pitch.
“It’s a little bit of a free hit for us, really.
“We have performed nicely against some of the top teams this season and we’ll go there with nothing to lose.
“But sometimes we need to remember that we’re a young side and we’re still learning as a team and as a club.
“It’s a fact that we’ve made great strides in recent months. But it’s also true that we are a club that has struggled for points in recent seasons.
“It’s one of those games where any kind of positive result will be a great result.”
The Knights will at least be fresh for the clash, given that their game at table-topping Anstey Nomads on Tuesday night was postponed.
Thorogood and his charges made the lengthy trip to Leicestershire, but a heavy downpour before kick-off saw the showdown called off at the 11th hour.
With his tongue firmly in his cheek, Thorogood added (on social networking site Twitter: “Well I enjoyed my 100 mile round trip tonight. Lovely night for a drive during a fuel shortage.”
