HINCKLEY AFC 3-2 HEATH HAYES: MATCH REPORT...

Late Hayes Rally Fails To Shake Hinckley

Hinckley AFC 3-2 Heath Hayes

AFC emerged from an awkward opening to this game, then overhauled a deficit by the interval, after which they missed a few chances to make the result safe until skipper Ryan Seal tapped home a third goal. However, Heath Hayes’ danger on the right flank, Brad Rolston, was bundled to the ground in the latter stages of the second period and left-back Luke Holmes subsequently stroked home an impressive penalty strike. This left a few minutes for the visitors to threaten but the only effort on target as the match ebbed away was a looping header by replacement Ryan Burns which home ‘keeper Haydn Whitcombe clutched comfortably beneath his crossbar. Certainly the guests had spoiled their hosts’ party in the early stages of this keen contest and might have added to Rolston’s goal which stemmed from a mugging of home defender Ryan Paddock. Hayes’ skipper and goalminder Mark Wiggins made a number of fine saves for his team but handed an equaliser to AFC midfielder Darius Darkin and could only watch Paddock’s redeeming header fly past him before the break. He was given no chance by Seal’s clincher but had made more saves beforehand to keep his team competing for a point. It was intriguing that neither Sean Williams, the speedy, spring-heeled AFC forward, nor colleague Sam Agar managed to notch a goal, despite their best attempts.

SEAL & WIGGINS TOSS...

An early clipped shot too high by Hayes’ Andy Davis had been the closest anyone had come to threatening a goal in the opening exchanges, until that is a fine left-side delivery by the lively, industrious and impressive Lee Butler fell between the heads of Sean Williams and Holmes which sent the ball bouncing goalwards and leaving Wiggins having to react sharply and turn the ball away. The goal for the visitors was one of Victorian cutpurse beauty as Rolston raced at Paddock and nicked the ball from his boot, before setting off towards goal at inside-right and he shot low across the helpless Whitcombe into the left corner of the net. Simple as that…

0-1: ROLSTON...

Agar, whose movement and anticipation were really decent, then nearly got in a shot at inside-left, also forced Hayes defender Chris Horton into a timely challenge then tested Wiggins, when a fine clipped Darkin pass left him onside at an angle on the right but the gymnastic Wiggins sprang left to make a fine save and grab the rebound before Mark Williams could capitalise. A fine Seal chipped pass left to right saw Agar causing problems again but this time his delicate clipped effort from right to left, 17 yards out, drifted over the left angle of bar and upright. In central attack for Hayes was Kyle Minto but for all his running, he rarely threatened for his team and he was well marshalled by the AFC defence. He did win a right-side corner which caused a melee but Rolston miscued in the 6 yard box and Hinckley cleared uneasily.

INTERESTING...

A typical fine run by the third Williams, James, from right-back saw him reach the byeline but his low delivery bounced off Seal and was picked up gratefully by the robust Wiggins. The ‘keeper though was unable to do more than palm away a nasty in-swinging left-side cross by home midfielder Andrew Westwood and there was an unmarked Darkin to shoot low past the crestfallen goalie from 8 yards but even then the ball bounced off Horton’s feet as it struggled over the goal-line.

Horton did glance a Jack Partridge corner from the right across the face of the home goal but the pace of Sean Williams and the guile of Agar, both supported by the driving Butler and the lurking Seal, always looked likely to create another chance and so it came to pass, when Horton was cautioned for a foul on the defensive left. Butler delivered a splendid centre and Paddock rose like a steeplechaser over an Aintree fence to head firmly into the Hayes net. It remained only for Wiggins to deny Seal one-on-one, although the midfielder was flagged offside anyway by a linesman who was actually behind the play. Darkin’s pass for Seal was smart though, as a number of the number 11’s passes were on the night.

HORTON IS CAUTIONED...

PADDOCK, 4, HAS SCORED...

The Hinckley standing fans strolled from one end, via the refreshments hatch or the bar to the opposite end, the young gymnast who had climbed walls and across chairs disappeared too and suddenly it was very quiet, until the second-half began, although Lee Thomas didn’t last long, soon being replaced by Chad Degville-Cross, whom I shall call Deggers from now on… 

James Williams’ fine adventurous work led to a poked shot by Sean Williams wide of the right stick from 18 yards, then the guests escaped and it was only due to the fine goalkeeping of Wiggins and the alert defending of Alex Scott on his own goal-line that Hayes didn’t find themselves 3-1 behind. First Sean Williams was fed at inside-right by Westwood but the advancing ‘keeper parried the shot superbly, before Darkin and Seal immediately exchanged passes cleverly and the skipper was in on goal, left side of the penalty-box but again Wiggins blocked the shot, which flew to Agar whose measured effort through a crowd bounced in front of Scott on the goal-line. The tall defender did really well to thrust forwards like a predatory shoebill stork and head the ball out towards Darkin but the midfielder’s first-time low shot flew past the left upright from 15 yards. That had been an exciting run of events and Heath Hayes were rocking and relieved. 

Whitcombe caught a volley from 23 yards by Hayes’ Luke Wright, Harry Phillips, the Hayes right-back, was cautioned for a foul on Sean Williams but from the resulting free-kick, Butler’s shot deflected off Hayes’ defensive wall to Sean Williams, whose hurried 15 yarder clipped the top of the crossbar on its way over the evergreens. Partridge was replaced by Burns, as Hayes continued to prove stubborn but before and then after a fine piece of defending by Butler on the rampaging Minto, Agar shoved four passes across the Heath Hayes 6 yard box, proving that if at first you don’t succeed, try, try, try again… First he had been released left by Sean Williams, then another delivery left to right was hacked away by a defender, before he took Butler’s short free-kick at inside-right and knocked the ball across the goalmouth again. Finally though, the team scored from his next delivery but the goal was set up by Darkin’s pass to Sean Williams, who fed Westwood and his neat pass released Agar towards the left byeline, from whence he beat Wiggins with his pass and there was Ryan to Seal the victory…

SEAL'S GOAL: 3-1...

The visitors kept plugging away after that but Davis shot much too high, Wright was replaced by Jamie Hawkins, who soon drove well over the crossbar after Whitcombe had punched out a corner and then Korey Burke, whose forward play had been eager and selfless all evening got away on the left but Burns was unable to connect with the ball beyond the far post. Lewis Riley replaced the sprightly and energetic Butler for the hosts but there was a sting in the tail from Rolston who sprinted on the right-flank, cut inside and won a penalty from the challenge of Deggers. Holmes dispatched the spot-kick right-footed high into the right corner of the net and with only minutes remaining, a little nervousness could be felt around the ground and the rather loud supporters in the grandstand voiced their opinions… 

PENALTY...

Despite some mild pressure though, Hayes managed only that looping Burns header which Whitcombe plucked like a pear from a garden tree and Hinckley finished as worthy winners, even though Heath Hayes had admirably made a game of it throughout. Certainly Sean Williams and Agar were lively for the hosts and Butler was always seemingly involved, alongside Darkin and Seal, who were in turn supported by the industry of Westwood. The defence shackled Hayes’ Minto and despite the eagerness of Burke, most of the visiting danger was down to the pacy Rolston of course. Wiggins played so well in goals though, one palm-out apart of course, but he certainly demonstrated some fine reactions. 

BURKE: HURT LATE ON...

I left behind the smaller seating area only to be delayed yet again by the barriers allowing the players to exit the field of play… No worries if you’re able to stay for a pint but anyone who has workforces on motorways to endure, it can test the patience… 

TEAMS:

HINCKLEY AFC:

HAYDN WHITCOMBE, JAMES WILLIAMS, LEE THOMAS, RYAN PADDOCK, MARK WILLIAMS, ANDREW WESTWOOD, LEE BUTLER, RYAN SEAL (CAPT), SAM AGAR, SEAN WILLIAMS, DARIUS DARKIN.

SUBS:

TOM McCRYSTAL, LEWIS RILEY, CHAD DEGVILLE-CROSS, MITCH TOMLINSON.  

HEATH HAYES:

MARK WIGGINS (CAPT), HARRY PHILLIPS, LUKE HOLMES, ALEX SCOTT, CHRIS HORTON, ANDY DAVIS, BRAD ROLSTON, JACK PARTRIDGE, KYLE MINTO, KOREY BURKE, LUKE WRIGHT.

SUBS:

RYAN BURNS, JAMIE HAWKINS, GAV SAUNDERS, DALE FAULTLESS.