Assistant manager Joe Conneely wants Hinckley AFC to back up what he called the best performance since he came to the club, when they face Lutterworth Athletic tonight.
AFC hit six for the first time since April 2018 in Saturday’s opening home win over Gedling Miners Welfare.
It also saw five different goalscorers for the first time under Courtney Belford’s leadership.
Conneely felt it was his side’s most complete performance since he joined the club in June 2020. He said: “It maybe took us five or ten minutes to get settled. After that, we were brilliant and dominated the game.
“We scored three really well-worked goals in the first half, and were professional in the second. We had to fizz the ball around after the rain, but those first half goals meant we could relax and control the game.”
It was also AFC’s first clean sheet of the season, having not recorded a shut out through the unbeaten pre-season campaign.
The former Coventry Copsewood boss thinks that was the most important aspect of the win. He admitted AFC had been “poor at times” in defence through pre-season but hopes this is the start of a successful campaign at the back.
As a result, he wants his side to continue that momentum against Lutterworth Athletic tonight. Atho are one of AFC’s closest geographical rivals. Conneely says that, combined with Lutterworth’s talented players, will make for a good test this evening.
“We’ve been to see them. They’re a physical side and they’ve got some good players.
“They have a lot of the old Burbage lads, including Oli Bradshaw who we know from last season. So they’ll be keen to beat us.
“They were beaten by Belper on Saturday, who are looking strong, but had a good win the week before.”
That win came against Kirby Muxloe last week – and while AFC are looking for back-to-back home wins, Atho are gunning for consecutive victories on the road.
Kick off at St John’s Park is 7.45pm.
