On Bank Holiday Monday, Rovers play host to AFC Rushden & Diamonds at Hillgrounds.
Rovers are kicking into gear this season, with back to back league wins – with clean sheets – coupled with safe progress in the FA Cup making the opening day at Moneyfields look like just a blip. Jake Newman will be looking to add to his tally of five goals so far this season against his former club, where he was top scorer for them in their promotion from UCL Division 1 in 2012. Seb Simpson is back from his suspension and new addition to the squad Hateley Mercer will be looking to add to his solid debut at Uxbridge. Rovers have a fully fit and available squad to pick from.
AFC Rushden & Diamonds have been here before, in their two seasons in the UCL Premier Division, they were good visitors and their fans were most welcome. On both occasions, however, Rovers were beaten (3-1 in March 2014 and 2-1 in March 2015) in front of what proved to be the highest crowd of the season. Diamonds come into this game on top of the fledgling table with three wins from three and twelve goals scored so far, they are also in the next round of the FA Cup. Nabil Shariff, who began his career with the original Rushden & Diamonds, will be one to watch. He was top scorer last season and has found the net seven times already this campaign.
AFC Rushden & Diamonds were founded in 2011 after the breakup of the old club. They began life in the Northamptonshire Youth leagues before being accepted into the UCL for the following season. Promoted from Division 1 to the Premier in their first season, they took two attempts to gain promotion to step 4 of the non-league pyramid. In their first season at step 4 they played in this league and got to the play off final, losing to St Ives Town who had one Danny Watson in their line up at the time. Last season, Diamonds were moved into the Southern part of the Northern Premier League and faced away trips to places like Sheffield and Northwich, they reached the play offs, but were eliminated at the semi-final stage. Until this season, Diamonds had been ground sharing at Wellingborough Town, a few miles from Rushden. This season, they have entered into a ground share with Rushden & Higham United at Haydon Road (where the original Rushden Town played before merging with Irthlingborough Diamonds in the 90s). The ground was not ready for step 4 football and a small army of volunteers have worked relentlessly to get it up to code. Their work payed off prior to the start of the season when they achieved their ground grading status. The club had a provisional ground share with us set up until the Haydon Road was ready, but this has not been needed.
The match is being sponsored by Flinn Construction - Builders in Milton Keynes - All aspects of building work undertaken.
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