Hungerford Town Match Preview
City are back in action on Easter Monday when they travel to Berkshire to take on Hungerford Town in their penultimate away match.
As in our two previous visits to Bulpit Lane, the match has great importance at the top and bottom of the table, but the two clubs’ positions are now reversed with Jerry Gill’s team the one looking for the necessary points to reach safety.
Monday afternoon’s match should see the largest away following for City since the trip to Chippenham on Boxing Day, and while fans will be hoping for a similar performance and result they will also wish Hungerford well for their next home fixture when they host Welling United!
The Crusaders are one of a host of clubs who are chasing that final play-off spot and currently lie in 9th position having lost at Oxford City on Saturday.
Danny Robinson’s team have had the classic up and down season and in fact have drawn only three of their matches.
Strongly fancied Maidstone and Dartford are amongst the seven clubs who have suffered defeats at Bulpit Lane but both Tonbridge and Billericay have tasted victory, the latter being one of the most eye-catching results of the season.
Only three teams have suffered more than Hungerford’s 16 defeats and their present form suggests that their play-off target is by no means going to be easy to accomplish.
They have lost six of their last ten matches, with only 12 goals scored, and have gained no points from their last three home games.
The Crusaders are very reliant on their feared striker Ryan Seager whose 26 goals from 35 outings makes him the League’s top scorer, with one more than the prolific Shaun Jeffers of St Albans.
It was Seager who won a very dubious looking penalty in the first meeting back in December at Twerton Park but his spot kick was saved by Will Fuller.
A rather heated match was won in the 86th minute by the visitors, prompting wild celebrations from a large travelling support.
This will only be our 5th visit to the Berkshire town since the first in 2017 and it has been a happy hunting ground for City with two wins and two draws, with only the three goals conceded.
The last, in March 2020, was won with an Adam Mann goal but as fans who were there that afternoon will recall, the match was played in a surreal atmosphere.
There was a widespread feeling that the season was about to be curtailed due to the pandemic and so it proved.
Mark Stillman’s video compilation is a reminder of those troubling times.
Hungerford Town is always a friendly club to visit and of course is one of our closest rivals in this league.
While it is as pleasant a town as any that we visit its football ground is rather basic.
However, improvements have been made since our first visit including an impressive seated stand behind one goal.
Tickets can be bought in advance from the Hungerford website.
The 45 mile trip from Bath will take around 1.5 hours. There are a few places left on the Supporters Club coach, full details of which can be found on its website.
The train journey of around two hours from Bath Spa will involve changing at Reading and a 15 minute walk to the ground from Hungerford station.
Whichever means of travel you use to get to Hungerford, have a safe journey and get behind the City!
