The curtain came down on 2018-19 as Hinckley AFC ended their season with a goalless draw at home to Brocton.
On a miserable afternoon that felt more like November than a season finale, neither side really got to grips with the wind.
And AFC played out their first home league goalless draw in their history as neither side could find the elusive breakthrough.
In his final game in charge, manager John Ramshaw made two changes to his Hinckley side beaten at Lichfield on Easter Monday as George Warren and Jean Dakouri returned.
Playing with the wind at their backs in the first half, Hinckley controlled possession and territory before half time and had their first sight of goal just five minutes in when Ryan Mills struck wide.
Tyrone Burton and Louis Hamilton then both had ones skim the crossbar as AFC tried to find a way through, while Brocton’s only real effort came when Jake Thomas headed Regan Smith’s free kick straight at Warren.
But for Hinckley ‘s control of the play, they didn’t hit the target enough and a powerful strike from Dakouri on the stroke of half time was the only time visiting ‘keeper Henry Smith was called into meaningful action.
The second half was a similar story, but reversed. This time Brocton had the ascendancy in play and territory, but again Warren was rarely tested.
After a quiet opening to the half, Smith, their leading scorer, fired over when he should have hit the target from inside the area.
But the game’s best chance fell Hinckley’s way with a quarter of an hour to play. Substitute Luke Newton did well to work space and cross for Grant Ryan, who couldn’t connect with a low cross with the goal at his mercy and goalkeeper Smith recovered to save on the line.
It was a chance that Ryan would normally have converted, but instead it was as close as either side came to breaking the deadlock- the Badgers’ Dan Lomas curling a free kick over at the other end as the game petered out into a draw.
Dakouri, on his first game back from injury, was dismissed for a second booking late on but it made little impact on the game as both sides ended their campaign with a goalless draw.
Hinckley: George Warren, Chad Timson, Chris Hollist, Tyrone Burton, Matt Jelfs, Ellis Chambers, Louis Hamilton (Luke Newton 62), Jean Dakouri, Grant Ryan, Ryan Mills (Ryan Murphy 64), Reece Giles. Subs not used: Yinka Adebowale, Ollie Hart, Callum Carey.
Brocton: Henry Smith, Adam Weldon, Ryan Kimberley (Jack Arrowsmith 80), Adam Wood, Jamie Weldon, Jake Thomas, Matt Kimmins, Joe Geldart (Jack Weldon 65), Regan Smith, Dan Lomas, James McGrady. Sub not used: Josh Mousley
