Hucknall Town on brink of securing a play-off place despite suffering heavy Easter Monday defeat to champions Kimberley

Hucknall Town suffered a heavy defeat away at champions Kimberley Miners Welfare on Easter Monday (18 April) but despite this are now on the cusp of securing a play-off place after Aylestone Park were held to a draw away at St Andrews.

A Luis Rose hattrick and a goal from Tom Eccleshall downed The Yellows and gave the scoreline a very one-sided look.

However, Aylestone's failure to find a breakthrough in their match means Hucknall currently still sit in the coveted final play-off spot and will confirm their place if they beat Kirby Muxloe at Watnall Road on the final day of the season this Saturday (23 April).

Hucknall's visit to The Stag Ground began with them welcoming the newly crowned Uhlsport United Counties League Division One Champions, Kimberley, on to the pitch with a guard of honour.

With the formalities out of the way the game began in a cagey manner, with neither side conjuring a meaningful opportunity in the opening ten minutes.

When the first chance arrived, it fell to the visitors. Craig Westcarr's inviting in-swinging corner picked out an unmarked Sam Sims but he could not hit the target and headed the ball wide of the post.

Hucknall sensed they were in the ascendancy and continued to play on the front foot and attack at will. Joe Ashurst fired a shot over the bar after a neat one-two in the penalty area with Westcarr following a dangerous long throw-in from Courtney Bartley.

A minute later Jamie Crawford's first time cross from the right wing found Westcarr but he could only direct his header straight at Danny Rigley in the Kimberley goal.

Hucknall's failure to take any of their early chances proved costly and came back to bite them.

The hosts took the lead in the 19th minute when Lenford Jenkins failed to clear his lines and they crossed the ball from the left and picked out Rose who turned the ball into the net.

With just over half an hour played, Eccleshall doubled the champions' advantage.

Ashurst's shot late in the first half, following a rare Hucknall foray forward, was well saved by Rigley who palmed the effort behind for a corner to deny them a foothold in the match.

The second half was very much one way traffic as Kimberley successfully resisted Hucknall's attempts to get back into the game and looked to counter attack where possible.

Rose added the third of the game just before the hour mark after a flowing passing move and completed his hattrick 15 minutes from time by smashing the ball into the net after being put clean through on goal.

At full time, manager Andy Graves did his post-match team talk to the players in the centre circle which emphasised his disappointment in the performance. However, news of Aylestone's stalemate soon filtered through which softened the blow slightly and means Hucknall remain on course to make the play-offs with one game remaining.