HINCKLEY AFC 5-1 RAINWORTH MINERS WELFARE: THE MOWDOG'S INDEPENDENT REPORT + SCREENSHOTS...

 AFC Ease Past Industrious Miners In UCL League Cup…

Hinckley AFC 5-1 Rainworth Miners Welfare

The Mowdog’s thoughts…

Steady rain fell on Barwell’s Kirkby Road ground as AFC downed the Welfare during this United Counties League Cup tie, played on a Sunday, which was also St Faith’s Day…

After a generally untidy beginning to the match when mistakes were evident by both teams on the wet artificial surface, an individual strike, a disputed penalty, a goal which stemmed from a Rainworth error and then a lunging effort prior to the break led to the visitors wondering how the heck they were 4-0 down on 45 minutes.

As the second period began, another defensive mistake led to a fifth AFC goal but Welfare goalie Ethan Dawe was then called upon several times to keep the margin of defeat down, especially when Callum Fletcher left the field with a facial injury for the guests, after all three of their named substitutes had been utilised. One replacement, Taylor Byfield-Vaughan was even sin-binned later in the half, during which time, bizarrely, Rainworth scored a consolation goal…

The saves by Dawe…

Before the goalscoring began, Dawe sprawled low right to push aside a drive from downtown by the energetic Jared Bradshaw who later also clipped the inside of the left upright from a similar distance, then the goalminder kept out Harry Walker-Donovan’s rebound effort but it wasn’t until period two that the gloveman became even more involved. 

DAWE GETS DOWN TO WALKER-DONOVAN'S REBOUND SHOT...

He saved falling left from home skipper Zaki Evans’ low, long drive, then with his legs from Brian Kohyrelon, before busy Welfare right-back Brad Charlesworth inadvertently thumped the ball against his own crossbeam from 18 yards. Dawe beat away a strong shot from AFC replacement Sam Belcher, then blocked similar efforts from inside-right by Kohyrelon, Rankin and substitute Brady Middleton.

MIDDLETON FIRES WIDE...

DAWE SAVES FROM EVANS...

CHARLESWORTH HAS STRUCK HIS OWN CROSSBAR...

Walker-Donovan drove wide, left-back Adam Barber curled an effort over the target, Middleton sent a low shot just past the right stick, before Rankin was denied a hat-trick when his rising shot was splendidly turned over the horizontal beam by the leaping Dawe.

DAWE TIPS RANKIN'S SHOT OVER THE BAR...

The offense of Rainworth…  

The Step 6 team battled hard but in truth little was created in attack, despite the efforts of Callum Fletcher until he was forced to retire and the lively play of Callum Brooks who created his team’s late goal with a clever run to the right byeline and his low delivery was bundled into the net by replacement George Skevington.

THE BROOKS ASSIST...

...FOR SKEVINGTON'S GOAL...

Sadly, Brooks skied a 19 yard free-kick opportunity, as nine-man Welfare made several late charges forward…

Those Hinckley goals…

Kohyrelon fastened onto a clearance by Rankin at half-way and outran visiting defender Leon Loftus, before tricking Dawe smartly and netting easily to make it 1-0.

KOHYRELON BEATS DAWE...

...& SCORES FOR 1-0...

Miners’ defender Oli Brown was adjudged to have fouled Kohyrelon inside the 18 yard box, which really angered visiting skipper Liam Arnold but Rankin scored from the resulting penalty with a low left-footer inside the right post, for 2-0. Dawe had pounced from his goal-line almost to his 6 yard line in a vain attempt to save the spot-kick…

KOHYRELON WINS A PENALTY...

...WHICH RANKIN CONVERTS FOR 2-0...

Midfielder Luke Jones was constantly involved in his team’s possession-based tactics and he slotted a pass into the penalty-box for Walker-Donovan to poke a low shot past the helpless Dawe and it was 3-0.

THE ASSIST FROM JONES...

...& THE FINISH BY WALKER-DONOVAN FOR 3-0...

Goal four was again a result of a Rankin and Kohyrelon link, when the tall forward lunged and fell forwards to connect with Rankin’s right-side, left-booted centre to score from close range. 

THE HIDDEN KOHYRELON PLUNGES...

...& MAKES IT 4-0...

Goal five was scored immediately the second period began when an inexplicable clearance across the Rainworth 18 yard box by a defender fell straight to Rankin at inside-right and he curled a neat 17 yarder high into the far side of the net.

RANKIN SHOOTS...

...& IT'S 5-0...

The final words… 

A deserved victory for Step 5 AFC, with good performances by Bradshaw and Jones in particular and of course goalscorers Rankin and Kohyrelon were clinical when it really mattered.

Liam Frost had shown some decent touches in attack for the visitors but he was unable to resume after the break, whilst midfielder Mason Gee was as industrious as Fletcher but not as visible as Brooks, who simply gave everything for his well beaten team, along with custodian Dawe, of course…

Thanks to Hinckley AFC for the kind and friendly welcome…