HARROWBY UNITED 3-4 HINCKLEY AFC: THE INDEPENDENT MATCH REPORT + IMAGES...

 Hinckley Play With Their Fans’ Emotions…

Harrowby United 3-4 Hinckley AFC

The Mowdog’s thoughts…

Never mind their fans, AFC must have caused their coaches Dale Belford and Joe Conneely some severe mental strife after they had forged a 0-3 lead at Dickens Road, then had led 1-4 with less than a quarter-hour remaining. The Arrows then scored twice in the final 6 minutes or so, leading to the visitors having to defend a desperate corner in the final seconds, with home goalie Phil McGann adding his presence to the packed Hinckley 18 yard box. That should not have happened but in truth, it was fascinating for the independent spectators and home fans, as the Arrows suddenly realised that perhaps, a point could be nabbed. 

TOSSING...

Hinckley survived but some ragged defending late in the match could easily have denied them what was really a deserved victory, despite United’s complaints, chiefly surrounding Charlie Evans’ goal for the guests.

HILL KICKING...

There were several spells of untidy, loose and inaccurate play during this encounter to be fair but Hinckley certainly played with more width than their hosts, especially on the right-flank, through the lean and shifty work of wingback Drew Kear. It seemed often that the Arrows attacked through the middle, leaving their prolific forwards Dan Durkin and Jack McGovern lacking any real service from wide areas, although they both could have scored goals within moments, after early domination by their guests.

MCGOVERN & WHITEHEAD...

DURKIN, WHITEHEAD & KEAR...

Two late first-half strikes by AFC left the Arrows quivering at the recess but there was more urgency displayed by Harrowby after the break, despite going further behind to a goal by visiting skipper Jacob Sturgess. McGovern netted what looked to be a consolation goal to narrow the gap to 1-3 but Durkin was instrumental in creating the late, late show by his team.

MCGOVERN & THE REF EXPLAIN WHERE THE GOAL IS...

Several set-piece chances went the way of home skipper Alex Hales and he would no doubt have rued his finishing on the day, regularly missing the target.

His team maybe needed more strings to its bow during this contest…

CATWALK MODELS PADMORE, HEELEY & DURKIN...

Alex Hales… 

He was doubtless influential for Harrowby but before the break he drove too high from a good place, then failed to hit the target with a pair of headers. After the interval, he shot wildly off target and again was wayward with a pair of headers, including from that last-gasp corner. 

Dan Durkin & Jack McGovern…

Durkin looked frustrated with the restricted creativity emanating at times from his midfielders but he did get clear, following a strong Hinckley start but although his low shot beat visiting goalie Matt Hill, the ball rebounded from the left stick, allowing Durkin to set up McGovern from 12 yards but the forward shot meekly and left-footed at Hill.

McGovern then got away at inside-left but sliced wide and Durkin shot low for Hill to save but in all fairness there was little more the pair could do in that first period from the support offered. 

During the second period, McGovern snatched an effort wide after good footwork by Jack Gurney but he did get his team onto the scoresheet at 1-3. His skipper claimed the assist with a decent right-side centre but it was too easy for McGovern to side-foot  the ball into goal from a few yards out. 

MCGOVERN FOR 1-3...

An attempted lob by Durkin from a short Hill clearance drifted too high but the leading goalscorer eventually made a fine break at inside-right past AFC’s Ben Whitehead and unselfishly passed across goal for effective replacement Gareth Lee to turn into the roof of the Hinckley net for 2-4.

LEE FOR 2-4...

Durkin deserved the third goal but it was lax AFC defending which allowed Lee to infiltrate the offensive left side of the 18 yard box and feed Durkin, 10 yards out, a chance he would not miss, lifting a right-footer high into the net.

DURKIN (7) FOR 3-4...

Both striker were regularly dealt with ‘physically’ by Sturgess and Whitehead…

The Harrowby replacements…   

All three were able to affect the match, although Lee was the one who really looked lively on offense. He set up fellow substitute Theo Barrotto at the right stick but the recipient failed to connect, he assisted for Durkin’s goal who returned the compliment and Lee also had a shot deflected for a corner. Dee Harrison offered some much needed strength in midfield and he did well enough in that time-restricted role.

Lewis Padmore…

The Hinckley wide player was way off target with two early shots then seemed to go rather quiet until a short free-kick by Tom Weale allowed him a shot from downtown with AFC 0-2 ahead. The ball bounced up and thumped McGann’s chest, the rebound falling for Sturgess to wallop into the roof of the net for 0-3.

STURGESS (YELLOW ARMBAND) FOR 0-3...

Another shot from distance by Padmore was turned aside by the diving McGann but the winger was in and out of the match, for Kear was proving the main sideline threat on the Hinckley right, as I mentioned above. Kear was strangely cautioned for tugging a shirt too, whilst other, more harsh offences were given ‘light-touch’ by the main official who looked like a character from current TV series ‘Ridley Road’…

Kemal Yenibertiz… 

One header by the combative Arrow was blocked by AFC replacement Callum Martin, after Nick Brandish had left the field hurt. However, the emotional United midfielder was cautioned, argued with the referee at the half-time whistle about AFC’s second goal and then was involved in a scuffle later. One of those two incidents would normally have resulted in a second yellow card…

CAUTION FOR YENIBERTIZ...

YENIBERTIZ HAS HARASSED THE REF AT THE BREAK...

YENIBERTIZ IS IN THE AIR, PRIOR TO SHOVING AN OPPONENT...

Hinckley’s other goals…

Ryan Slinn had already shot well off target when Evans evaded McGann and was forced very wide, then Weale slipped an assist inside from the right touchline, whereupon Slinn tricked past Hales, Luke Anderson and finally Sam Hill, who would actually strike one of United’s best shots later in the game, a volley, beaten clear by Matt Hill. As Slinn rumbled on he poked a low shot into the net past McGann, who was rooted to the spot in a crowded penalty-box.

SLINN FOR 0-1...

That goal came just a few minutes before the break but AFC increased their lead a moment or two before the referee ended the half and it was a hotly disputed goal by United. A centre from the right byeline by the busy Dan Hoskins, who complemented Slinn well in the Hinckley midfield, was headed downwards by Whitehead, the ball bounced against Evans near the goal-line and he despatched it into goal. The home players screamed for hand-ball but the officials were unimpressed. 

EVANS FOR 0-2...

AFC substitute Joel Heeley had a low shot saved, then ran clear but appeared to be fouled by Anderson and lost possession as he made his way towards the 18 yard line, although the referee intriguingly waved play on. Then Heeley tussled Sam Hill off the ball at inside-right, made it to the right byeline, drifted along it and served Jack Edwards a chance from 5 yards, which the midfielder converted.

EDWARDS FOR 1-4...

Jack Edwards…

There was something about this guy… He was insatiable for work, made fine runs off the ball, shirked nothing and of course, capped his performance with a goal described above, which proved to be the winner. 

Another side-footed effort by Edwards was easily saved by McGann, following fine approach play by the guests, before half-time.

Final words…

Hoskins was off target for AFC three times, replacement Kai Gibbs and Weale drove wayward second period efforts but it subsequently mattered not, for Hinckley took the handy victory from their trek to Grantham…

THE ACTING REFEREE...

...BUT DOES HE ACT IN 'RIDLEY ROAD'?

I had hoped that watching the Arrows would involve surnames on the team-sheets like Bowman or Fletcher but it was not to be. Villa’s Matt Targett, or a Robin Hood would have been helpful participants on the day…

WEALE (8): DIDN'T SCORE...

Ah, well…

KEAR IS CAUTIONED...

TEAMS:

HARROWBY UNITED:

PHIL MCGANN, MATHIAS AMPONSEM, LUKE ANDERSON, KEMAL YENIBERTIZ, SAM HILL, DAN MOULDS, DAN DURKIN, MAKHALE MAHLATSI, JACK MCGOVERN, ALEX HALES (CAPT), JACK GURNEY.

SUBS:

DEE HARRISON, GARETH LEE, JAMIE MCGHEE, THEO BARRETTO, TOM RIGBY. 

AFC HINCKLEY:

MATT HILL, DREW KEAR, NICK BRANDISH, JACK EDWARDS, BEN WHITEHEAD, JACOB STURGESS (CAPT), RYAN SLINN, TOM WEALE, CHARLIE EVANS, DAN HOSKINS, LEWIS PADMORE.

SUBS:

KAI GIBBS, JOEL HEELEY, MIKKE HIRST, JEREMIE AGHOLOR, CALLUM MARTIN.