Bromsgrove Sporting 2-1 Hinckley AFC
Bromsgrove Sporting overturned a 1-0 half time deficit to condemn Hinckley AFC to their second straight defeat at The Victoria Ground this afternoon.
In front of a crowd of 401 on a blustery afternoon in Worcestershire, Hinckley had marginally the better of the first half and were ahead at the break courtesy of a goal from the returning Javia Roberts.
But Bromsgrove used the conditions to their benefit after the break, and substitute Kyle Turner scored twice from close range to move his side ten points above Hinckley in the Midland League Division One table.
Carl Abbott made just one change to the Hinckley starting eleven that was defeated by Racing Club Warwick last week, with Roberts’ return on the wing meaning Sean Williams moved to right back, JJ Melligan into midfield and Jean Kalenda partnered Alex Morris at centre back.
The opening half hour was a relatively quiet one, with both sides taking time to settle into the game. The closest either side came to opening the scoring was when Brendan Kelly headed Luke Richards’ corner narrowly over his own crossbar, and the resulting Ryan Seal corner was tipped onto the bar by home keeper Chris Jay.
Dale Edwards was proving to be The Roulsers’ biggest threat during the first half, and after his deflected shot was headed away from the six yard box by Williams, the same player’s cross-shot ran right across the face of goal without a Bromsgrove forward applying the finishing touch.
Then, the hosts had strong penalty shouts waved away, before Hinckley took the lead on 37 minutes. In the inside left channel, Ryan Seal turned and crossed delightfully to the far post where Roberts met the ball with a header that found the inside of Jay’s far post.
Approaching half time, Connor Collins saw his twenty yard strike parried round the post by Tom Cross as Hinckley took their lead into half time.
But after the interval it was mostly one way traffic towards the Hinckley goal as Bromsgrove penned their visitors in. After Alex Morris came across well to block Collins’ shot, Sam Wills and then Collins both curled shots narrowly wide as Bromsgrove came close to levelling.
And the equaliser, which had been coming, arrived shortly after the hour mark. Reece Hewitt’s trickery on the left wing saw him beat his man and drill a low ball into the six yard box where Turner, who had only been on the pitch for two minutes, converted from close range.
And parity lasted only seven minutes as Bromsgrove quickly turned the scoreline on its head. Hinckley switched off from a right wing corner and allowed Turner to glance home at the near post with the defenders flat-footed.
The hosts nearly added a third when Wills’ free kick crashed against the post with Cross beaten, and it took until the 85th minute for Hinckley to register a shot on target in the second half as Richards’ half volley was comfortably saved.
But for the last five minutes it was Hinckley’s turn to dominate, and they arguably should have snatched a point late on. After Roberts’ left foot strike flew just over the bar, the best chance fell to Richards in stoppage time as the captain’s free header at the far post was straight at the goalkeeper.
In the end, though, Bromsgrove held on for their deserved victory and Hinckley will have to dust themselves down before taking on Leicester Road in the Jelson Homes Senior Cup on Tuesday.
Bromsgrove: Chris Jay, Liam Spink, Jack Wilson, Nathan Walker, Craig Jones, Brendan Kelly, Sean Brain (Kyle Turner 61), Reece Hewitt, Connor Collins (Luke Corbett 80), Sam Wills, Dale Edwards (Ethan Hanks 61). Subs not used: Sam Horton, Lucky Nwosu.
Goals: Kyle Turner (63, 70)
Hinckley: Tom Cross, Sean Williams (Rico Taylor 33), Lee Thomas, Jean Kalenda (Oli Basham 46), Alex Morris, JJ Melligan, Javia Roberts, Marcus Jackson, Ryan Seal (Jason Wood 79), Marco Adaggio, Luke Richards. Subs not used: Sam Arnold, Elikem Amenku.
Goal: Javia Roberts (37)
Attendance: 401
