Match Preview

This Tuesday, Rovers host Hayes & Yeading United in the Southern League Division One.

Formed in 2007, Hayes and Yeading are an amalgamation of the two separate clubs that make up their name. They began life in the Conference South, finishing 13th in their inaugural season. in the 2008-09 season, the club finished in the play off places and were eventually promoted following an extraordinary play off final away at Hampton & Richmond Borough; if you have a spare eight minutes and twenty eight seconds, the highlights are well worth watching and can be viewed here. The club trod water in the top flight of non-league for two seasons, finishing sixteenth and seventeenth, before being relegated in 2012 back to the Conference South. A seventeenth placed finish in their first season back at step two is their high point in the last few years. As the following season in 2014, the club finished in the bottom three, but were granted a reprieve from relegation due to the demise of the old Hereford United. The reprieve was temporary though, as after a narrow escape the following year, the club were relegated to the Southern Premier Division in 2016. Their stay in that division was shorter still, relegated after just one season. Hayes & Yeading arrive at Hillgrounds currently in thirteenth place in the table with eleven points from seven games. This game being one of a number of games in hand on those around them. These games in hand are a consequence of the club reaching the third qualifying round of the FA Cup this season. Hayes & Yeading have also made progress in recent days in both the Southern League Cup and the FA Trophy.

Rovers will be looking to bounce back from their FA Trophy disappointment at home to Hythe at the weekend in what will be the final game of a four game home stand. Kempston sit in ninth, just two points outside the play off places, but like our visitors, have a number of games in hand on those around. Jake Newman and Robbie Goodman are the only players to have started every single game in all competitions so far for Rovers this season.