Mark Burke expects an entertaining match in front of a bumper crowd at Slough Town this weekend – before seeing the same thing at Top Field next Thursday against an Arsenal XI.

Hitchin, who are fourth in the Southern Premier table, travel to second-place Slough on Saturday looking to extend their unbeaten run in the league to 12 matches.

And then on Thursday an Arsenal XI come to Hitchin to mark the official switch on of the club’s new floodlights with the Canaries hopeful of an evening of ‘pure football’.

There’s no doubt that Hitchin are in a buoyant mood following their FA Trophy victory over Hayes and Yeading at the weekend, a win that netted the club £2,750 in prize money and an away date at Biggleswade Town in the next round on November 12.

But Slough, who play in the new Arbour Park stadium, are a stern test for Burke’s men and are unbeaten at home this season.

“We’re on a good run and the performances are getting there slowly,” Burke told the Comet while watching his U19s team take on Sutton United.

“We’re still not firing on all cylinders though.

“It’s Biggleswade and they’re a decent team, but it’s not too much travelling for us and there’ll be no coach bill so we can look at that as a positive.

“Slough, it’s a brand new stadium and our scouts have been very impressed by their team.

“We’ve got be wary of them, but I think it will be an entertaining game as they try to play football.”

Speaking of Arsenal, Burke said: “It’s a celebration and it’ll be really relaxed. We’ll be looking to play pure football and play little triangles against them.”