Hinckley AFC player/manager James Jepson is urging supporters to be patient with his young squad after the 2-0 win at Littleton.
Hinckley played for an hour with ten men and a 16-year-old goalkeeper in George Warren after first choice stopper Adam Harrison was sent off.
And it looked like the game would result in AFC’s first ever league 0-0 until Jepson bent home a free kick with two minutes to play, and Grant Ryan slotted home a second shortly after.
And the manager felt patience was the key in a match that wasn’t without its challenges, and said it will be an important characteristic going forward. He said: “As players, we felt the frustrations around how we were playing but we’ve got a young squad who are still gelling and trying to make things happen.
“At the end of the day we got three points. We’ve had an indifferent start but however our season pans out, if we’re going to be successful then no-one will remember how we played against Littleton – just that we won 2-0.
“If you’re down to ten men for an hour, you’ve got to dig deep. It wasn’t pretty, but was I happy? At the end of the day, yes – because we got three points. Anything less and we definitely wouldn’t have been.”
Jepson scored his first Hinckley goal in 27 appearances in the win, and was delighted to get off the mark for the club.
“It took a bit of a deflection but I always felt like it was going in. It was nice to score, of course, but there’s going to be plenty of moments like that for other members of the squad.
“The main thing is the three points and I would have been mortified if we didn’t get them.”
The former Rugby Town boss felt Harrison’s sending off was harsh, but said it gave Warren the chance to prove himself – one that he took with both hands.
“We didn’t think it was a red card, we felt there were a couple of defenders getting back, but that’s football.
“But on the flip side, a 16-year-old came on and performed like a tried non-league player. He claimed crossing, he was distributing with both feet, throwing it out and talking. He’s a boy still at school but he was a real plus point.
He also felt that Littleton’s performance belied their lowly status, and thinks they won’t be pointless at the bottom for long.
“Littleton have played nine and lost nine but I didn’t think they were a bad side. They’ve got a couple of good players and they beat Lichfield, who are currently top of the league, in the FA Vase.”
