Hinckley AFC hit four for the fifth game running as two goals in each half moved them into the play-off places with a 4-0 win over Borrowash Victoria.
On a difficult pitch against a side that battled throughout, AFC had to get the job done and they did so effectively with Ryan Slinn claiming a hat trick.
Conditions meant this was never going to be exhibition of free flowing football, but Hinckley made their quality count with two excellent goals to see them take charge of the game in the first half.
Tom Weale was again a key figure for Hinckley and was involved in both opening goals.
Ten minutes in, his early free kick was cleared to the edge of the box and bounced at at awkward height for Slinn, who demonstrated great technique and control to fire the ball into the top corner for a fantastic strike.
Hinckley soon came close to adding a second. Drew Kear’s wonderful surging run on the right flank ended in delivering a cross for Charlie Evans, who saw his header tipped aside at full stretch by Tom Smith in the home goal.
Midway through the half, the visitors increased their lead with one from the training ground. Weale was the architect, as they were awarded another free kick. As the home defence prepared for the set piece to be launched into their box, Weale played a clever low kick to pick out the run of Evans and he finished neatly from ten yards.
Whilst the home side kept battling throughout, they are a side lacking in confidence and Hinckley emphasised their superiority. Just six minutes into the second half, they attacked in numbers and Slinn raced into the box. He opted to shoot rather than pass, and his shot took a wicked deflection and looped over the stranded Smith to drop in at the far post.
It was a question of how many Hinckley would score now and the answer, as it has been for the last five games, was four. That fourth came with 20 minutes remaining, when ‘keeper Smith felled Evans in the box. Slinn took the opportunity to complete his hat trick and complete another satisfying afternoon’s work for Courtney Belford’s men.
Borrowash: Tom Smith, Arnold Shonibare, Adam Hardy, James Paterson (Josh Dalton 65), Harry O’Neill, Leyton Nethercot, Jamie Turner, Dylan Muir, Kai Moore, Kareem Aboukaia (Alex Broadhurst-Barker 82), Charlie Holliday
Hinckley: Matt Hill, Drew Kear, Nick Brandish, Tyson Knight, Ben Whitehead, Jacob Sturgess, Jeremie Agholor (Lewis Padmore 60), Tom Weale, Charlie Evans, Dan Hoskins (Jack Edwards 45), Ryan Slinn (Isa Abraham 75). Subs not used: Kai Gibbs, Mikkel Hirst
Goals: Ryan Slinn (10, 52, 72), Charlie Evans (25)
