OJM BLACK COUNTRY RANGERS 0-4 HINCKLEY AFC: THE MOWDOG'S INDEPENDENT REPORT...

 Clinical Hinckley Triumph In A Game Of Few Chances Down At The Lye… 

OJM Black Country Rangers 0-4 Hinckley AFC

The Mowdog’s thoughts…

So I was back at The Lye, where the flattened Black Country mud had begun to harden in the gusty wind, leaving the pitch liable to uneven bounces of the ball, so that at times players resembled young kids chasing about, unable to anticipate how high the ball might rise from an unpredictable surface. It was certainly tough for the players but Hinckley definitely adapted better to the conditions than their hosts and netted early, a blow from which Rangers failed to recover.

THE MOWDOG'S VIEW...

Another first period goal, courtesy of slack OJM defending, followed by two quick post-interval strikes effectively killed the no-contest, for Rangers were so poor on the day. Visiting ‘keeper Brandon Bache was largely redundant against a team which had been above Hinckley in the league table beforehand and indeed only a shot from distance too high by willing central striker Jack Arnold in the opening period, bothered Bache at all. Five corners by Rangers’ lively forward Casey Collins were unproductive, then after the break, Hinckley were barely concerned by an Arnold shot which Sam Walton blocked, nor by a looping header by impressive home skipper Callum Nimmo which cleared the crossbeam.

THE ONCE RUSTING COWSHED...

Home goalie Connor Hopkins wasn’t unduly tested either really, for apart from the four goals, he could only watch as Jack Edwards clipped an effort off target following a Tom Weale free-kick before the interlude for tea and mud cakes. Then late in the match effective left-back Dan Fraser sent a dipping volley from way downtown onto the roof of the OJM net and replacement Adam Barber would have hoped to have done better with two headers from assists by Weale and busy substitute Lewis Collins, both of which flew wide of the goal-frame. 

LATE SUN...

The game was not thrilling to watch from independent eyes but the victory proved to be precious and enjoyable for the Hinckley contingent, which cheered their team from start to finish, end to end and beer to beer…

LESS WARDROBE MALFUNCTION FOR THE GRANDSTAND THESE DAYS...

The atmosphere…   

It was often raucous and I smiled when a mature woman and her younger male companion walked from the Cowshed at the facilities end of the ground to the Grassy Knoll End where I stood alone, apparently on top of the crossbar, if Jason Long’s remarkable image is anything to go by. They remarked that they couldn’t bear the noise and wondered “…what their mums would think…” I knew that the Hinckley fans would join me at my end which would be attacked by their team after the break but said nothing in reply. However, within moments of the restart the duo soon disappeared back to the Cowshed… Hilarious.

MOMENTS BEFORE I LAUNCHED INTO MY HIGH BAR ROUTINE TO LAND WITH A SINGLE SOMERSAULT IN THE GOALMOUTH MUD, ENSURING A SOLID LANDING...
IN MY DREAMS.

I like The Lye and any chance to attend a match there is a joy for me, despite the often sodden playing surface. However, urged on by coaches Joe Conneely and Courtney Belford, both of whom are always decent to me, for which I am truly grateful, Hinckley largely dominated this game to the visiting fans’ sheer pleasure.

DAISIES.
THESE TWO TOOK ONE'S MIND OFF SOME OF THE SCRAPPY NATURE OF THE CONTEST ON THE PITCH.
THEY DID. THEY REALLY DID...

Rangers… 

No shortage of effort certainly but little emerged from midfield in truth and the team was forced to rely on the skills and speed of winger Dylan Green and forwards Arnold and Collins in attempts to unsettle Hinckley and even though visiting central defender Joe McNulty only lasted 25 minutes, his replacement Jack Beasley was rarely troubled. 

Brian Smikle performed strongly at right-back for the hosts then later in midfield too, whilst left-back Babucar Sauane kept the pacy Isa Abraham largely in check but skipper Nimmo really did stand out for the hosts. His sidekick, wearing 20, Adam Keogh was booked for a late assault on Edwards and one of the coaches was yellow-carded too for his constant abuse of the main official.

THE HUDDLING INCINERATORS...

Hinckley’s positives…   

Certainly strikers Joe Obi and Chandler Pegg caught the eye, as did Lewis Collins, a second period substitute but in midfield, where controlling the ball wasn’t easy, Harry Walker-Donovan and Edwards, along with Weale, held the balance of power. They really did…

Full-backs Matt Dawson and Fraser were workmanlike throughout and subsequently Rangers were largely rendered ineffective by opponents seemingly far more up for the challenge than they were themselves.

ADMIRING THE LYE...

The goals…  

The opener, which was a real shock for OJM, stemmed from a deep right of centre free-kick, which Fraser took despite at first Dawson looking like the player to deliver it. The left-footed flight was accurate, Walton rose at the left stick, headed the ball across goal and there was Pegg, whose marker had been drawn into the middle of goal, with time to stretch and fire his first-time strike from near the base of the right post. His effort powered across goal and ripped into the top left corner of the net from quite an angle.

Oh, thanks by the way must go to Mr Weale Senior, for incorrectly marking on the team-sheet that Obi was wearing 10 and Pegg 9, for when I checked the video clips, I had to crop my commentary for goal one and completely over-dub the commentary for goal two, having worked from, er, the official team-sheet…

0-2 was achieved due to awful defending, I think involving Keogh, leaving Obi to latch onto the ball some 23 yards out and he was astute enough and calm enough to lift the ball over the stranded Hopkins and into an empty net.

Goal three stemmed from a Weale free-kick, left of centre, 26 yards out. The lowish drive was nasty for Hopkins, who was unable to keep hold of it as he fell left on his goal-line and Obi was on hand to drill a low shot into the net from 6 yards, as Nimmo dealt with the threat of Walton, thus leaving Obi free.

Dave Meese caused goal four by tripping the elusive Pegg inside the 18 yard box and in front of his own fans, Pegg took a masterful spot-kick, hard and low to Hopkins’ left, as the custodian fell the other way…

The final words…

The win has surely given Hinckley cause for optimism but Rangers will certainly need to recover quickly from this demoralising loss if they want to make a telling run for promotion through the play-offs…

They really will…