Copsewood Coventry 3-9 Hinckley AFC
A crazy ninety minutes of football saw twelve goals as Hinckley AFC ran out 9-3 victors over Copsewood Coventry in the Coventry Charity Cup.
Carl Abbott’s side were 5-2 up at the interval thanks in part to Luke Richards’ brace, but were slack at the back in allowing the Coventry Alliance side to twice peg them back.
And the second half was just as action packed as AFC rattled up nine goals and Richards four by the full time whistle.
Abbott made six changes to the side that beat Bromyard on Saturday, but the much changed line-up went ahead as early as the fourth minute. Javia Roberts and Rico Taylor were two who remained in the side, and the duo combined to give Hinckley the lead as Taylor headed home Roberts’ right wing cross.
Two minutes later, their lead wad doubled. Instead of providing the cross, this time Roberts converted it as the diminutive winger met Ryan Seal’s delivery.
Hinckley were looking comfortable at this stage, Richards also being denied in a one-on-one situation, but Copsewood pulled one back in the eighteenth minute as Sam Arnold was beaten at his near post.
Not to be put off, AFC restored the two goal lead shortly after as the flanks continued to provide their main threat: Richards clinically dispatching Roberts’ cross beyond the ‘keeper.
The glut of goals continued as the game approached the half hour, Richards making it 4-1 by finishing off a goalmouth scramble.
Then, Copsewood pulled another goal back as they found the net following good work down the right wing.
In fact, the Coventry Alliance side could have levelled before the interval, but missed two golden chances from close range.
And shortly before the half time whistle blew, Seal scored his first for the club as he latched onto Taylor’s through ball to make it 5-2.
After the break Seal bagged his second, before Taylor fired home the goal of the night from the edge of the box to score Hinckley’s seventh.
More sloppy defending from AFC followed, though, as a back pass was intercepted allowing Copsewood to find the net for a third time.
The end-to-end nature of the game continued right until the end as Richards secured his hat-trick, Taylor again the provider, with three minutes remaining, before the scoring was finally rounded off when Richards’ deflected strike spun over the helpless ‘keeper.
Hinckley: Sam Arnold, Jamie Newton, Mitchell Tomlinson, Asa Wright (Jean Kalenda 57), Oli Basham, Darious Darkin (Elikem Amenku 65), Javia Roberts, Nathan Walker, Ryan Seal, Luke Richards, Rico Taylor.
Goals: Rico Taylor (4, 65), Javia Roberts (6), Luke Richards (24, 29, 87, 89), Ryan Seal (44, 54).