by Peter Scherer
Back on Boxing Day we went down 2-4 to Nuneaton Borough, who were still then hopeful of automatic promotion.
Their more recent form has left them 10 points off the top but still comfortably in line for the end of season play-offs, currently lying fourth in the table, three places above Mickleover.
Team manager Ginnelly has managed to keep changes in his line-up to the minimum and has been in charge at Liberty Way for the last four years, having previously managed Barwell and Atherstone.
Keeper Tony Breeden recently made his 100th appearance for the club, having arrived from Bromsgrove in November 2019. He’s previously played for Leamington, Kidderminster and Tamworth.
Ryan Beswick is a midfielder who started as a Leicester City Junior. After a loan at Redditch, he went to Kettering following his release, before moving to Solihull. He then came to Nuneaton in July 2017, but after one year moved to Tamworth, staying for four years until returning to Liberty Way pre-season.
Derby born Tyrell Waite is a striker that started out at Ilkeston. Notts County then picked him up in 2012, from when he had his first loan spell at Nuneaton, further loans back at Nuneaton and Ilkeston then preceded a permanent move to Lincoln City and he made nine league appearances before joining Skelleftea in Sweden.
He then came back to the UK with Nuneaton in January 2016, but moved on to Kidderminster, Boston Utd, Matlock and Tamworth, before his third spell at Nuneaton came in July, after eight months at Coalville.
Centre back Scott McManus is the current club captain. He was at Curzon Ashton initially, before joining Crewe Alexandra and making a handful of league appearances. He then had a year at Stranraer, before joining FC United and had seven years at Halifax Town. He came to Nuneaton in December 2020, after a couple of seasons at Coalville.
Luke Benbow is a long-serving striker who was signed from Stourbridge in July 2019. He started off at Solihull Moors and has spent most of his career alternating between Stourbridge and Solihull, interspersed with a short stay at Redditch and one season at Hednesford.
Midfielder Charlie Dowd was a Burton Albion youngster. On his release he spent three-years at Bromsgrove, before joining Alvechurch in July last year. He signed for Nuneaton January and like Benbow, also scoring in the last two matches.
Kane Richards is another Derby born striker, who came from the Derby County Academy. After a loan at Ilkeston, he signed for Matlock on his release, moving onto Chester, with a loan at Gainsborough, before joining Dover Athletic, who loaned him to Telford, before a permanent move to Kidderminster. He then spent three-years at Basford before coming to Nuneaton in July last year.
Italian born midfielder Prince Mancinelli arrived from Belper Town in June 2022. He has also played for Long Eaton Utd, Radford, Basford and Tamworth.
Centre back Lathaniel Rowe-Turner is an ex-League One and Two player who started at Leicester City. He was loaned to Cheltenham, Redditch and Kings Lynn before a permanent move to Torquay. Two years later he moved to Luton and after an initial loan, moved on to Alfreton Town.
He then joined Kidderminster and was loaned to Nuneaton in January 2016. A return spell at Torquay was followed by spells at Chester, Kettering and Tamworth, before spending a year at Stourbridge prior to his Nuneaton signing in July 2022.
Isaiah Osbourne was an England Under 16 International, who played his junior football with Derby County, until Aston Villa spotted him. The midfielder made 30 starts mostly in the Premiership and was also loaned to Nottingham Forest, Middlesbrough and Sheffield Wednesday. He moved to the Scottish Premiership in 2011 with Hibernian, but after 30 appearances he headed south to Blackpool.
Scunthorpe, Walsall and Forest Green followed, but after almost 300 senior games, he went non-league for the first time with Nuneaton.
Former Coventry City junior striker Matty Stenson joined Barwell on his release. He moved on fairly quickly to Leamington, before spending a year with Solihull Moors. He was loaned to Telford before a permanent move to Halifax, but was loaned again to Tamworth and Kidderminster, before joining Nuneaton pre-season after spending two years on Halifax’s books.
Joe Magunda is another Leicester City graduate, who joined Woking on his release. A loan at Redditch followed before he went to Kings Lynn. He then spent two years at Brackley and six years at Leamington, before a three-year stop at Tamworth. Six months at Stratford preceded his move to Nuneaton.
Left back Jaden Charles was a Derby County Junior before moving to Mansfield Town. He had loans at York City, Hereford and Nuneaton, before making a permanent move to our hosts in July last year. He is also a Republic of Ireland Under 18 International.
Reserve keeper Liam Castle was another pre-season signing from Barwell, where he spent almost 10 years since arriving from Basingstoke.
Dan Edmonds has come through Boro’s own youth scheme and made his first team debut in the Birmingham Senior Cup earlier in the season.
Midfielder Kyle Storer came from Solihull Moors in January. He was a Leicester City Junior, who has also played for Bedworth, Tamworth, Atherstone and Hinckley Utd, before arriving at Nuneaton in 2009.
After over two years he went to Kidderminster, moving on to Wrexham and Cheltenham, before a five-year spell at Solihull.
Right back Camron McWilliams started out at Northampton Town. He then had a spell at Cardiff City, before joining St Ives and then Nuneaton in December 2021. After a loan at Sutton Coldfield he returned to Nuneaton in May last year and is now a regular first choice.
Midfielder Kobe Chong played his youth football at West Bromwich Albion, Kidderminster and Cagliari in Italy. He came back to the UK in 2018 with Solihull and has played for Banbury, Redditch, Sutton Coldfield, Peterborough Utd and Sports, before going to Telford in July last year. He joined Nuneaton in February.
Striker Jaanai Gordon is currently on loan from Boston Utd. He started in the youth teams at Luton and Peterborough Utd before joining West Ham.
The Hammers loaned him out to Chelmsford, Nuneaton, Sligo Rovers and Newport County, before he joined Cheltenham after his release. Tamworth, Banbury, Oxford City, Stratford, Hereford and Brackley were his next stopping points, before joining Boston in July last year.
He was loaned to Banbury before making a similar move to our visitors last month.
Winger Ricardo Dinanga is another loanee from Coventry City. He was at Cork City before joining the Sky Blues and has also been loaned to Hereford.
Midfielder Bilal Yafai arrived last month too. He started at Solihull and has moved rapidly through a whole host of clubs. Chasetown, Leamington and Hereford all preceded his first stay at Nuneaton in 2015. He moved on to Rushall after two months, followed by Bedford, Hinckley, Haverhill, Stourbridge, Tamworth and El Gaish in Egypt. After a spell at Tamworth, he has been in an out of the Nuneaton squad over the last 18 months.
Kick off as usual at the Don Amott Arena is 3pm.