Abbo Proud of Hard Earned Point
Hinckley AFC manager Carl Abbott spoke of his pride in his team’s performance after they drew 2-2 with Lichfield City last night.
Due to Sam Arnold being unavailable, Hinckley were forced to play midfielder JJ Melligan in goal after a replacement ‘keeper dropped out late.
And Abbott says the circumstances make the point a valuable one as they move forward.
‘The boys were fantastic tonight. I’m really, really proud of them.
‘I’ve told them in the dressing room that I feel that’s a real watershed performance because things were stacked against us a little bit, which is never nice for anybody.
‘It’s indicative of the level of football we’re at that you turn up and you’re told at ten past six that your goalkeeper can’t make it. That threw a spanner in the works.
‘At that point, you don’t want to be going round the dressing room begging people, you need someone to put their hand up and be positive, and that’s what JJ did.
‘We ended up with our most experienced, and arguably our most influential, player in goal.
‘There were other factors as well. We were missing Tyrone Clarke-O’Connell tonight. That was a late notice, but he’s got a family issue at home and we wish him well. We really missed him tonight.
‘We also missed Justin (Nisbett) tonight, which hasn’t helped Matt Gardner and we’ve had adjust our normal way of playing. We didn’t have our usual pace in wide areas.
‘Luke (Richards) was forced off with a hamstring injury, Marco (Adaggio) picked up a little hamstring niggle as well, and all that means that we’ve been up against it tonight.
‘But what a great performance, a fantastic show of togetherness and quality in good areas as well.
‘Lichfield are happy to get out of here with a point today, and that says it all about the way we played. Our guys were superb.’
Abbott reserved praise for his captain, whose positivity in taking the gloves rubbed off on the rest of the team.
‘I can’t speak highly enough of the lad. The lads respect him as a player and everyone likes him as a person but he’s a bit like marmite around the place sometimes!
‘He expects a lot of the guys. He can be demanding, but for someone who has done what he has in the game to be humble enough to come and play at the level, and also to to something like going in goal.
‘He was the first one to put his hand up, and it’s not because he can play in goal (I think he’s only played in goal once before), but it’s because he wants to take the pressure off and say “I’ll do that, I’ll embrace that.”
‘With Sam Arnold in goal, their second goal doesn’t happen but I can’t speak highly enough of JJ. He was fantastic and he’s helped us out of a really sticky situation.’
Luke Richards was force doff in the first half with a hamstring injury, but Abbott spoke of his recent impact, along with that of Robbie Millington.
‘It’s a real blow to lose Luke today. He’s become so instrumental for us in that kind of half wide, half central role, and he’s been critical to Matt Gardner’s play as well.
‘It’s been a little unfair on Matt tonight. We’ve lost Tyrone and Justin, who both get in behind full backs, and Luke really gives him company. He can go wide, and also play in tandem with Matt.
‘We ended up having to change it because it wasn’t really working for Gards tonight.
‘Robbie came in as a goalscorer. He will hit that vein of form and score goals. I’ve known him a long time, and seen him score a lot of goals. I’ve been on the end of him scoring goals as well.
‘At the moment, he’s a workhorse, he’s creative, he’s getting a grip of games, and a really good acquisition for us.
‘That’s a decent draw today. Of course we want to win, and keep making ground in the league but there are good ways and bad ways to draw games. We’ll take that tonight ad move forward with a good point under the circumstances.’
