Hinckley AFC confirmed their place as Midland League Division One champions as Chandler Pegg scored his first goal since a long injury eight minutes from time to earn victory at Heather St John’s.
Pegg turned home Harry Walker-Donovan’s cross to give Hinckley the lead for the third time late on, and having been pegged back twice, that was a lead they wouldn’t relinquish again.
That, along with defeat for closest challengers Droitwich Spa, was enough to secure Hinckley’s top spot and ensure they can’t be caught at the summit and they will play their final three matches of the season as champions.
It was fitting, too, that the title was earned at St John’s Park, the ground where Hinckley called home for the first four years after re-forming to give their step six journey a full circle feeling.
The celebrations will live long in the memory for everyone involved, but the game itself won’t. For long spells, it was dominated by the gale-force wind blowing from one end of the ground to the other – the first three goals were all wind-assisted to one degree or another and Hinckley goalkeeper Matt Hill wasn’t far from scoring himself with a clearance in stoppage time.
Heather had the wind at their backs for the first half but Hinckley managed the game well, restricting their chances. Their only real opportunity came when Jake Finnerty headed wide from Kai Thomas’ long throw.
And Hinckley took the lead against the wind seven minutes before half time. Tom Weale’s free kick was dangerous but held up in the wind, Heather ‘keeper Matt White was rooted to his line and that allowed Jack Edwards to bundle home from a couple of yards. It was Edwards’ sixth in four games, and his most prolific goalscoring run could hardly have come at a better time.
Hinckley took that lead into the break, but they were undone by a similar goal five minutes into the second half as Heather equalised. Hill came out to claim a wide free kick which held up in the wind again, meaning he didn’t get there and Max Dutton turned it home from 10 yards.
The first save for either ‘keeper didn’t come until the hour mark, White holding James Bryson’s deflected shot, before Hinckley restored their lead shortly after. Lewis Rankin beat his man out wide and whipped in a left-footed cross which, slightly wind-assisted, nestled in the far corner.
As news came through that Droitwich were losing, Hinckley knew a win would be enough but again they couldn’t hold on to that lead. The league’s leading scorer Kyle Jardine did well to hold off the challenge of three defenders, breaking free to find the back of the net despite Hill getting a hand to his shot.
As at Droitwich two weeks ago, it was a pair of substitutes who earned Hinckley the win. One of them, Walker-Donovan, shot wide shortly after the equaliser but he more than made up for that as the game entered its final eight minutes. A magnificent piece of skill saw him nutmeg his man and get to the byline, squaring for Pegg to slide home from close range.
It felt like it was written in the stars for Pegg, last season’s 39-goal top-scorer who was only playing his second game since August following a knee injury. The joint was heavily strapped, but he won’t have felt that as he raced to celebrate the winner with jubilant fans behind the goal.
After that, Heather’s only chance of levelling for a third time came when Jardine twisted past a challenge but fired wide on the turn from the edge of the box. Hill nearly added a fourth with a long clearance downfield that bounced once before being held by White right under his crossbar.
At the final whistle, Hinckley celebrated a big three points but a couple of minutes later, confirmation that other results had gone their way meant AFC could get the party started having confirmed promotion to step five.
Heather: Matt White, Kai Thomas, Jake Finnerty, Max Dutton (Zach Smalley 83), Joe McNulty, George Ludlam (Jack Coles 5), Lewis Hopewell, Tom Mangan, Kyle Jardine, Jacob Carter, Jordan Holmes. Subs not used: Chris Hayden, Alfie Donnelly, Wade Ball.
Goals: Max Dutton (50), Kyle Jardine (77)
Hinckley: Matt Hill, Matt Dawson, Danny Fraser, Preston Bitemo, Ky Green, James Bryson, Lewis Rankin (Dec Somel 86), Tom Weale (Chandler Pegg 75), Joe Obi (Harry Walker-Donovan 67), Jack Edwards, Adam Barber. Subs not used: Brandon Bache, Sonny Sheasby.
Goals: Jack Edwards (38), Lewis Rankin (63), Chandler Pegg (82)
Attendance: 247
Picture: Clive Stapleton
