Abbo Delighted with Players’ Attitude

Hinckley AFC manager Carl Abbott praised his side’s attitude as they recorded a comfortable 4-0 win over Littleton at St John’s Park.

The reverse fixture between the two sides ended in a controversial 1-0 win for Littleton, but Abbott said that the players’ focus was solely on settling their scores by playing football. He said: ‘We had to make sure that we did it right. We settled our scores. but the important thing is that we did in in terms of football.

‘The guys have heeded the message, and gone out there very focused and with a really good shape about us, a great attitude and we put them to the sword quite handsomely.

‘The scoreline doesn’t flatter us, and it also doesn’t do justice to how good a side they are. It’s a performance that we can be rightly proud of.’

Abbott says that his side now possess a lot of confidence, and they are confident of a result against any opposition.

‘We expect to win games now. I turn up, look at the table, and think about the permutations of where we can get ourselves to.

‘That may sound arrogant, but that is the mindset that we are in now. We’ve laid the start of the season to rest, and we’ve assembled a squad which is what we promised in terms of quality and in terms of results.

‘We’re delivering now, and it’s enjoyable to be in the dressing room with the lads, it’s enjoyable to be around the supporters and games like today’s are the reason we are all here.

‘It’s certainly why I came here, and why the players have been drawn over here to represent the club.

The crowd of 173 was the highest at St John’s Park since August, and the former Wolves Casuals boss is encouraging more fans to come down following the upturn in results.

‘We’ve said all along that if we do our business on the pitch then crowds will continue to grow and get back to where we were at the start of the season.

‘This side is on a roll now, and we may fall short because of the damage we did to ourselves at the start of the season.

‘We’re the form side in the league now, we’re the team to beat and we’re the team that can take points off everybody.

‘We’ve assembled a big squad, and some lads are having to take their turn out of the squad now. That’s a test of character.

‘We’re where we want to be now with twenty or 21 really good quality footballers, and if we can maintain this squad without having to make wholesale changes going into next season then we’ll have a very settled side that understands the club and the pressures that come with it.

‘That’s something that we struggled with at the start of the season, but now I think we’re going to be formidable.’

Despite a much changed back four from last week’s match at Coventry Copsewood, Hinckley kept another clean sheet, an aspect of performances that has pleased Hinckley’s coaching staff in recent weeks.

‘John Clapp’s got strained knee ligaments that have got progressively worse throughout the week, and unfortunately Dom Smith got told yesterday that he had to work today.

‘Mozza (Alex Morris) moved in from left back and we brought Jordan (Rushton) into the side. We know the job that they’re going to do. They’ve played together before and been successful as a unit.

‘Jordan has come in from Senior League football, and he’s learning the level. We sent him out to have a little loan spell at Heather, which has done him the world of good, and he’s come back now learning the game.

‘He is making mistakes but there is far more good than bad from him, and he’s listening, he’s learning and he’s a local lad who wears that badge on his chest with a lot of pride. I’m really pleased for him.’