COVENTRIANS 1-3 HINCKLEY AFC: THE INDEPENDENT MATCH REPORT...

 Keen Workout In The Cage

Coventrians 1-3 Hinckley AFC

First thoughts...

This was a decent workout for both teams I’m sure but it never fails to intrigue me that players take pre-season games very seriously and there were certainly some tough tackles made in this one. Two cautions were handed out and although I couldn’t hear what tactical advice was being dished out from the Coventrians’ sideline inside The Cage at the Alan Higgs Centre, much of the advice bellowed from the Hinckley sideline was critical and instilled with a liberal sprinkling of variants of a word which begins with the alphabet’s sixth letter. ‘Fug’, I think it was…   

AFC created more opportunities than their lower ranked but stubborn hosts, yet it took well into the second period before goals two and three gave the scoreline a more realistic look. Coventrians had equalised just after the interval and although Hinckley had taken an early lead, through skipper Lewis Rankin’s free-kick, other chances were squandered, as Isa Abraham in particular cut swathes through the home defence and formed a strong alliance with left-back Mikkel Hirst. Midfielders Rankin, Dan Hoskins (with two assists) and the industrious, destructive but effective Tyson Knight were largely in control of a well contested ‘friendly’…

LEWIS COMMINS (17) SEEMS KEEN TO GET GOING...

I was very upset by what happened after half-time though, for a couple of footballs had become lodged somewhere in the wooded area which rose behind The Cage’s far touchline, where I was filming. Three youths on bikes suddenly appeared behind me and I was aware that as I was videoing, they were being, er, silly and so I bent down to move my bag and ease to my left a little. That was the precise moment that Coventrians’ stalwart Aaron Donaldson chose to bring down a high ball and rap it past Hinckley goalie Matt Hill to regain parity… I didn’t even see it, never mind film it… Apologies to Aaron and Coventrians…

A spectacular finish from downtown by AFC replacement Ryan Murphy and a smart Rankin goal which finished off a move started by ‘keeper Hill, completed the scoring but Coventrians put on a more offensive showing after the recess, with midfielder Ben Newport looking more lively and securing more possession. 

Clubs often say about a pre-season game, that it is being used to improve fitness, or to trial new players, therefore the result doesn’t really matter, should they lose. Try telling that to Coventrians and Hinckley AFC… I would want to win every game my team played too and I would be very pigged off if my players let themselves down…

IS JEREMIE TAKING UP THE JAVELIN?

Rain had been forecast for the evening but the game escaped that, as did my camera but thanks should go to both teams for helping me to identify their players. By half-time, I had managed to learn Hinckley’s and thanks to Jane Connolly from Coventrians helping me at the break, I was able to identify most of the ‘home’ players as the second period wore on…

1st half…

The hosts managed only a few goal attempts but central defender Luke Wilson was booked for an uncompromising challenge from behind on visiting striker Chris Lloyd.  Nathan Cadby picked up a pass from Jeremie Agholor (who I saw play for Alcester Town last Saturday) and fired a cross-shot past the right stick, neither Cadby, nor robust, physical central striker Warren Dakouri could get in a telling shot in a bit of a scramble in the AFC 18 yard box, Agholor made a sprint but goalie Matt Hill saved the subsequent comfortably and finally, a fine effort by Donaldson was turned over the crossbar by the diving Hill, a piece of action involving Donaldson that I did manage to film successfully… 

For the visitors, Jack Edwards had already shot into the side-netting before Rankin curled a free-kick from 27 yards, inside-right, into the far corner of the net, leaving home gloveman James Connolly rooted.

LEWIS RANKIN HAS OPENED THE SCORING... 

Ben Kendrick nodded a Rankin corner just past the base of the right post, Lloyd struck a free-kick past the left upright and on another occasion took the ball just too far as he bore down on goal, whilst another Rankin free-kick shot was palmed upwards then grabbed by James Connolly.

Edwards could find no power with his shot following a pass by Lloyd, the busy Hoskins struck a left-footer past the left post but the thorn in Coventrians’ side was undoubtedly Abraham. In truth though, home right-back Ali Hassan stuck to his defensive task well but the pace of the Hinckley winger was rapid… He took a pass from central defender Ben Whitehead, ran at the home defence and delivered a harsh release across the face of goal, then after a fine run he lost possession with team-mates left frustrated nearby and finally he raced to the left byeline and smacked an angled shot against the underside of the crossbeam, which was spectacular to behold… 

2nd half…

A casual lifted pass by AFC’s Edwards began half-two but home defender Keiron Butler made two strong blocks on the surging recipient Knight at the right byeline, then I missed Donaldson’s goal…

After that, substitutes threatened for Coventrians, with Nathan McGarrity firing straight at Hill, then over the target and finally wide of the left upright late in the match. Kofi Staples had a shot blocked but he showed one or two neat touches during the latter stages. Kieran Martin drove an effort past the left stick but forced Hill into a decent save, diving left, although the Hinckley coaches were apoplectic about the defensive cover on that occasion…

0-2, COURTESY OF RYAN MURPHY...

For the guests, Edwards shot wide, as did the positive Hirst, following a surging rush, Hoskins was cautioned for a foul, James Connolly saved low from Rankin, after another run by Abraham, all before two goals settled the result of the encounter.

First, Hoskins slipped a pass right to replacement Murphy and his 20 yard shot dipped and moved as it dropped just under the crossbar with James Connolly clawing Coventry air. 

Goal three stemmed from Hill, who fed the unhurried Whitehead, whose long forward pass was collected by Hoskins and he nudged Rankin clear of two defenders, before the skipper planted a low shot into goal off the base of the left upright. A neat, clinical and well executed goal… The coaching team didn’t shout “Fug…” at all, when that went in…

Very late on, Rankin curled a good attempt just too high, James Connolly tipped away to his right a cross-shot by substitute Lewis Commins and the rebound bounced over the target from the forehead of Murphy. Abraham had perhaps deserved a goal for his explosive forays but when he was one-on-one with James Connolly as time subsided, following neat approach play by Hoskins and Murphy, the ‘keeper blocked the winger’s slightly awkward right-footed attempt from inside-left.   

LIAM CONNOLLY PLAYED FOR A SHORT WHILE.
WELL, HE'S NEARY 50 THESE DAYS...

Finally…

The floodlights had been turned on, it had become slightly chilly but despite the always disrupting introduction of lots of replacements, at least this contest held its interest for the few spectators present. Liam Connolly made a brief appearance in the Coventrians’ midfield and produced two astute passes but for the ‘hosts’, Wilson was decent, Dakouri wasn’t, er, shy, Josh Dixon had made one or two incursions into the AFC defence but Newport and Agholor were generally prominent, as were substitutes Martin and McGarrity.

AFC were well served in midfield, as already mentioned but Rankin looked the part, Knight charged about with gusto (Knight on a charger? Really?) but Hoskins was different. He had something smart about him, also some venom and a thirst for the ball, as well as claiming two assists. Replacement Tanaka Gobere looked comfortable as a replacement right-back, whilst both central defenders and also Nick Brandish at right-back did fine. Hirst, backing up winger Abraham combined to form a dangerous liaison on that left-flank…

SQUADS:

COVENTRIANS:

JAMES CONNOLLY, ALI HASSAN, ARCHIE BALES, LUKE WILSON, KEIRON BUTLER, NATHAN CADBY, LIAM CONNOLLY, BEN NEWPORT, WARREN DAKOURI, JEREMIE AGHOLOR, JOSH DIXON, ANTONY ALLAN, KIERAN MARTIN, REECE STOWE, KOFI STAPLES, AARON DONALDSON, NATHAN MCGARRITY, DAN HUME, RICKY BLEWITT.

HINCKLEY AFC:

MATT HILL, NICK BRANDISH, MIKKEL HIRST, TYSON KNIGHT, BEN KENDRICK, BEN WHITEHEAD, LEWIS RANKIN (CAPT), CHRIS LLOYD, JACK EDWARDS, ISA ABRAHAM, DAN HOSKINS, RYAN MURPHY, TANAKA GOBERE, MARK WILLIAMS, LEWIS COMMINS.