Hinckley AFC made it seven games unbeaten with a 3-0 win over Cadbury Athletic at St John’s Park.
Just 48 hours after beating Bolehall Swifts, Richard Lavery’s men were back on the park against the Chocolatemen as they recorded a fourth straight win.
Steve Hart broke the deadlock on the stroke of half time, before two in quick succession after the break from Luke Richards and Hart meant AFC were comfortable in the end.
Lavery made one change to the side that beat Bolehall on Tuesday. Marley Hamilton made his first start, with Richard Munday the man to drop out as Josh Willis moved back in to centre half.
And it was Hamilton who had the first real chance of the game. Racing down the left, he beat Jake Cadney before shooting low towards goal, where Stuart Parsons could only parry but was grateful to his defenders for being on hand to clear.
But if Parsons maybe should have held that one, he made up for that with a fine save from Lavery’s header, diving away to his left at full stretch to tip wide.
Cadbury played some neat football but it was Hinckley who had the better of the chances, and Hart blasted into the side netting as AFC sought the opener.
And the deadlock was broken six minutes before half time. Cadbury cleared an attack only as far as Lavery, who put the ball back into the box. There, Hart took a touch before turning his man and prodding home on the angle, Parsons beaten by the deflection it took on its way into the back of the net.
Hart was then denied a second by the offside flag, before he turned provider for Jack Sutherland, who blazed over from close range.
Hinckley started the second half on the hunt for a second goal, and Richards had the first chance after the break when he capitalised on a short backpass but could only slice wide after a bobble.
While the game was at 1-0, Cadbury were never out of it and had their best spell of the game shortly afterwards. Matt Warman delivered into the box, where Lewis Kemp headed goalbound and Carl O’Neill had to acrobatically tip onto the bar.
But Cadbury’s best chance of the game came when they got to the byline and pulled back to the far post, where Kemp was in space but blazed over.
And they were punished for that miss when Hinckley doubled their lead through Richards. Kai Tonge beat Deon Colstock before delivering a pinpoint cross for Richards to get between the two centre halves and glance home the second from six yards.
As Hinckley looked to kill the game off, Sutherland was denied by Parsons when one-on-one, before the third came not long after. James Jepson’s crossfield ball was knocked back across goal by Sutherland, and Hart bundled home from close range.
That brought up Hinckley’s hundredth goal of the season, and they immediately went in search of number 101. Tonge fired wide of the post, Sutherland pulled back for Josh Burniston to blaze over from eight yards and Jonathan Bukasa had an effort held by Parsons late on.
But in the end, AFC were comfortable in victory ahead of the visit of Pershore Town on Saturday.
Hinckley: Carl O’Neill, James Williams, Mitchell Tomlinson, James Jepson, Josh Willis, Richard Lavery (Richard Munday 79), Kai Tonge, Josh Burniston, Luke Richards, Steve Hart (Jonathan Bukasa 84), Marley Hamilton (Jack Sutherland 27). Substitutes: Nick Goold
Goals: Steve Hart (39, 78), Luke Richards (74)
Cadbury: Stuart Parsons, Jake Cadney, Deon Colstock, Lewis Cosgrove, Andre Edwards, Andrew Cooper, Matt Warman, Lewan Tobin (James Douglas 80), James Apperley, Lewis Kemp (Brett Lloyd 75), Romario Rose (Odane Campbell 75). Substitutes: Sam Delaney
Attendance: 114
