Hinckley AFC assistant manager Paul Tomlinson said his side’s performance in yesterday’s win over Paget Rangers was one of two halves.
Before the break, AFC moved the ball superbly on the slick 3G surface and were 3-0 by the interval thanks to an early brace from Ryan Seal and one from Paul Sullivan.
But after half time, Hinckley were loose in possession for twenty minutes and although he was delighted with the result, Tomlinson wants to stamp those spells out of his side’s game. He said: “It was a really pleasing first half. I was a bit disappointed in the first twenty minutes of the second half, if I’m perfectly honest, and I think the lads know that as well.
“We just gave possession up too easily and put ourselves under a bit of pressure, but I thought they (Paget) came out in the second half and had a real go at us.
“They’ve had a little bit of a telling off in the changing rooms at half time, maybe telling them there’s a good crowd in and they’ve not done themselves justice.
“So I want to pay my respects to Paget, they had a go at us and they’ve got some good players who play some nice football at times.
“Over the ninety minutes I felt we were comfortably but as I said, that fifteen minute spell needs to be taken out of our game because it happened at Coleshill the other week when we were tremendous in the first half but let ourselves down in the second.
“I think we did that a little bit today but I was really pleased with the result and to get through to the next round.”
The tie was played on the newly laid 3G pitch at Church Road, and Tomlinson said playing on a true surface helps his side with the style of football that they play.
“It helps us enormously because you can just trust the run of the ball, it’s as simple as that.
“That’s no disrespect to any ground we play on, including Heather’s which is lovely, but on some you just don’t get a true run of the ball.
“You can see the difference in the quality of what the lads can produce when you can trust the surface, and I think that showed again today.”
Another hat-trick from Seal took his tally to eight goals in three games in the Vase this season, and the club are lucky to have him according to Tomlinson.
“What can you say about Ryan Seal?! He’s had a bit of a knock on his knee for the last couple of days and he was in pain for the last ten minutes of the game, but the lad is just outstanding.
“I can’t pay enough compliments to Ryan as our captain and our leader – he’s our leader in the changing rooms as well as on the field.”
