HINCKLEY AFC v PAGET RANGERS: THE MATCH PREVIEW BY THE MOWDOG...

MATCH PREVIEW: HINCKLEY AFC v PAGET RANGERS...

(MIDLAND LEAGUE 1, OCTOBER 3rd 2020)

Being played at Barwell FC, this encounter features 7th in the league table Hinckley and 16th in the listings Paget Rangers. Although I have visited Kirkby Road on a number of occasions to watch Barwell in Midland League fixtures, this will be the first time I will have seen the Knitters play there…

Hinckley’s record so far has been ‘balanced’, with 2 wins, 2 draws and 2 losses from their 6 league fixtures. The goals ratio is 12-11, the points total being 8. 

Their last three matches started with a 4-2 loss at Studley, which I witnessed but in truth, really bad errors contributed to the defeat. Chris Lloyd and Ben Ashby netted at the Beehive and then Isaac Cooper scored in a 1-2 home loss to Lichfield City, who are currently tucked in behind league leaders Leicester Road. Lloyd had a penalty saved in that match and Luke Edwards was apparently sin-binned… 

DAN HOSKINS TAKES A FREE-KICK AT STUDLEY...

Last time out, Hinckley won 0-3 at Stafford Town, who are now lying just one place above Paget. Goalscorers at Stafford were Ashby, Callum Martin and Tom Weale. Ashby and Lloyd thus lead the goalscoring chart with 2 apiece.  

Coach Joe Conneely commented on the Knitters’ season up to now:

“We’ve had an up and down start to the season in terms of performances and results. We threw away 2-0 leads in consecutive home games v Cadbury and Uttoxeter, before coming from behind to beat Chelmsley Town for our first three points of the campaign.

We then put in a very lack-lustre performance against Studley in the FA Vase, losing 2-0, then we undeservedly lost 4-2 away to the same opponents in the league a few days later, after being a goal ahead early on. We should have come away from that match with at least a point.

FRUSTRATED HINCKLEY COACHES AT STUDLEY RECENTLY...

Last Saturday we went down 1-2 at home to Lichfield City in a game in which we didn’t create a lot but retained possession during the second period and missed a penalty late on. Really, 2-2 would have been a fair result in my opinion. 

We got back to winning ways on Tuesday night at Stafford Town with a comfortable 0-3 victory, where we scored a contender for goal of the season already. Tom Weale netted it from our own half to put the game to bed.

We have done our homework on Paget Rangers and we know full well that we are in for a very difficult afternoon against a young and hungry team, which has experienced a mixed bag of results so far this season.

It’s a match we are certainly looking forward to as a group and hopefully we can give our fantastic set of fans a first three points at our new home of Barwell FC to enjoy, before a difficult away trip next Tuesday to Brocton!”  

Paget Rangers haven’t managed to draw any of their 7 games so far, winning 2 and losing 5, with a points total of 6 and a goal-difference of -13, scoring just 8 times…

MAX TURNER...

Their last three games resulted in a 3-2 home victory v Atherstone Town, in which Myles Lowe, Max Turner and Clark Wells scored the goals, then the Bears lost to a single strike at home against Nuneaton Griff, before squandering a 0-1 lead at half-time to go down 3-1 at Rocester, where Turner again scored. Indeed, Turner has grabbed 5 goals so far and leads Paget’s goalscoring chart…  

Bears' Media Manager and Match Secretary Dan Smith sums up the season so far:

“It’s been a frustrating start to the season, we’ve been very inconsistent but that is to be expected from such a young team.

We’ve had two excellent wins, against Stafford Town and Atherstone Town, as well as advancing in the FA Vase but we have also seen some disappointing performances, notably against Uttoxeter and Kirby Muxloe.

As the club has been taken over and is under new ownership, this season is one of transition for us and the main aim is a mid-table finish, with the subsequent aim of pushing on during the 2021-22 season, once we have consolidated.

We just need time to gel as a squad and get used to new first-team coach Simon Cooper’s tactical outlook and how he wants us to play the game, going forward.

Everyone involved with the club knows that this is a long-term process and we have all bought into it wholeheartedly…” 

Video highlights of the match, with full commentary, plus screenshots, images and a full match report will appear HERE from Sunday. Please retweet the links, so that the players, coaches and supporters might access the coverage…

Thanks!

The Mowdog…

themowdog.blogspot.co.uk