Hinckley AFC 8-2 Studley
St John’s Park rained goals as Hinckley AFC put eight past Studley to record a comprehensive victory.
After the highs of Tuesday’s FA Cup win, it wouldn’t have been easy for Hinckley to return to winning ways, but it took them less than a minute to gain the advantage through Sean Williams.
Marco Adaggio bagged a brace before half time, while Javia Roberts added a fourth in first half stoppage time to send AFC into the interval four goals to the good.
After the break, Studley scored through Andrew Millan and Lewis Fathers, but Adaggio added his third of the match and Luke Richards scored a second half hattrick to give Hinckley a comprehensive win.
Carl Abbott made just one change to the side that won at Walsall Wood on Tuesday, with Sean Williams replacing Deqwon Ebanks, while there were places on the bench for new signings Jake Brown and Rico Taylor.
And it took Hinckley just 35 seconds to take the lead. Adaggio and Richards linked up to feed Williams, whose strike from 25 yards gave Hinckley the perfect start.
Hinckley continued to dominate the opening stages, and should have made it two when Roberts struck the bar with the goal gaping after good work by Richards.
As the game advanced, Studley started to gain more possession and Hinckley were a little sloppy in possession. The Bees almost levelled on the quarter hour mark, but with Jack Hartopp beaten a header drifted narrowly wide of the post.
Hinckley’s unforced errors didn’t prevent them adding further goals before half time, and Adaggio scored his 25th league goal for the club to make it 2-0, prodding home Nathan Walker’s free kick following Dom Smith’s knock down.
Adaggio also scored the third on 37 minutes, but the chance came courtesy of Alex Morris. The left back ran the length of the pitch to find Richards, who crossed for Adaggio to convert.
Richards also had a part in the fourth goal, which came on the stroke of half time. Mark Sanders could only parry his shot, and Roberts converted the rebound from close range.
Hinckley started the second half slowly, and Studley pulled a goal back six minutes into it when Millan capitalised on defensive errors to beat Hartopp at his near post.
That started a crazy spell of five goals in ten minutes, with Hinckley restoring their four goal lead five minutes later. Roberts’ pace caused Studley problems all afternoon, and his low ball across goal was converted by Richards at the far post.
The action-packed second half offered another goal less than two minutes afterwards, when Adaggio neatly lobbed Sanders in a one on one situation.
With the three points secured and just an hour played, this provided an opportunity for Hinckley to improve their goal difference, but their hesitant defending cost them again when Fathers slotted home to continue the shower of goals.
Richards scored the ninth goal of the afternoon, Hinckley’s seventh and his second a minute later when he acrobatically volleyed home Roberts’ left wing cross from eight yards.
The rest of the game was almost played as shooting practice for Hinckley, and their captain Richards should have joined Adaggio on a hattrick with fifteen minutes remaining, but blazed over after Roberts’ burst of pace.
Then Williams and substitute Oli Basham both fired in efforts, before Richards did score his third with a fine header from an acute angle, from a peach of a Justin Nisbett cross.
Hinckley will be delighted to get goals under their belt ahead of Tuesday’s game against a Lichfield City side who have started the Midland League Division One season well.
Hinckley: Jack Hartopp, Mitchell Tomlinson (Rico Taylor 59), Alex Morris, Dom Smith, Jean Kalenda, Neil MacKenzie, Javia Roberts, Nathan Walker (Oli Basham 71), Sean Williams, Marco Adaggio (Justin Nisbett 75), Luke Richards. Subs not used: Jamie Newton, Jake Brown.
Goals: Sean Williams (1), Marco Adaggio (24, 37, 57), Javia Roberts (45), Luke Richards (56, 61, 80)
Studley: Mark Sanders, Matthew Chambers, Luke Sanders, Stephen Evans, Orrin Pendley, Dave Edwards, Danny Stokes, Lewis Fathers, Brendan Hicks, Luke Wilson, Jarrell Hylton. Substitutes: Aaron Donaldson, Gary Joynes, Adrian Hylton, Gary Turner, Andrew Millan.
Goals: Andrew Millan (51), Lewis Fathers (60)
Attendance: 198