Hinckley AFC marked their return to Kirkby Road in fine style with a ninth consecutive win in beating Ingles 5-0.
Hinckley’s first match at Kirkby Road took 42 minutes to see the first goal – but once Hinckley went ahead, they never looked back.
Five different goalscorers helped Courtney Belford’s side to the win while goalkeeper Matt Hill and his defenders also kept their fifth clean sheet in six matches.
An excellent crowd of 234 welcomed their side back and they saw their side take control on the pitch from early on, if not on the scoresheet.
Dan Hoskins fired wide after Charlie Evans was denied by a fine tackle and Chris Camwell’s penalty appeals fell on deaf ears.
Hoskins then hit the bar and Camwell and Isa Abraham forced visiting ‘keeper Oscar Webb into full length saves to keep it level.
But while Hinckley had the better of the game, they weren’t at their fluent best. They let their concentration slip for a five minute spell, forcing the best of Ben Vallance, with a last-ditch tackle to deny Kyle Fowkes, and Matt Hill, with a magnificent fingertip save from Layton Wheeler.
It looked like the first half would end level but Hinckley hit Ingles with a double blow on the stroke of half time. Evans’ deft lob over the onrushing Webb broke the deadlock three minutes before the break.
Then came the goal of the match from Hoskins, dancing past his man before unleashing a rocket into the top corner from 25 yards.
Ingles’ best spell of pressure came in the 20 minutes after half time but they didn’t force Hill into a save during that time.
And clinical Hinckley killed the game off midway through the half when Hoskins delivered for Tyson Knight to nod home a simple header.
At 3-0, Hinckley then started to show their best as they got used to the new artificial pitch. Drew Kear added a fourth with his second in two games – a complete airshot with his first attempt but he brought the ball back under his spell, dribbling past a defender before finding the corner.
Kear and substitute Jeremie Agholor went close after free-flowing moves while Fowkes should have pulled one back for Ingles but shot straight at Hill when clean through on goal, as Hinckley saw out another clean sheet.
And in stoppage time, another piece of intricate play involving Tom Weale ended with Abraham being brought down. He dusted himself off to convert the penalty and round off another comprehensive win.
It lifts Hinckley up to third in the table ahead of Saturday’s trip to a Radford side who are also on an impressive winning run.
Hinckley: Matt Hill, Drew Kear, Mikkel Hirst, Tyson Knight (Nick Brandish 80), Ben Whitehead, Ben Vallance, Chris Camwell (Jeremie Agholor 67), Tom Weale, Charlie Evans (Dom Alleyne 73), Dan Hoskins, Isa Abraham. Subs not used: Jacob Sturgess, Lewis Padmore
Goals: Charlie Evans (42), Dan Hoskins (45), Tyson Knight (65), Drew Kear (76), Isa Abraham (91 pen)
Ingles: Oscar Webb, Luke Savage (Luis Corcoran 78), Rhys Scargill, Zanga Aboubacar Kone, Josh Rock (Jordan McCourt 46), Belly Tebbatt, Layton Wheeler, Billy Snaith, Kyle Fowkes, Dean Copson (Matt Brown 48), Dan Tuck. Subs not used: Rolan Princewill, Lance Moyo
Attendance: 234
