For the second home game in a row, Hinckley AFC beat both the opposition and a storm as they notched up a fourth straight win by beating Eynesbury Rovers.
After overcoming both March Town United and Storm Bert a fortnight ago, this time Eynesbury and Darragh were downed as Hinckley extended their excellent recent form.
In gale-force winds, Hinckley trailed to Victor Osobu’s 27th-minute goal but levelled through Leo Farruch on the stroke of half-time.
And with the wind at their backs after the break, Calum Flanagan and the in-form Luke Jones secured the points as Hinckley move up to sixth.
Both sets of players deserve huge credit for the shifts they put in despite the howling gales, but quality was at a premium and, after both sides took time to settle down, the game burst into life after 27 minutes. Farruch went inches away from giving his side the lead when he just struck past the far post, but from the resulting goal kick, Sam Roach’s launch forward caught on the wind, sailed over the Hinckley back line and Osobu ran onto it and smashed home with aplomb.
Both sides went close again as Jones’ wind-assisted cross-shot was clawed away by Roach, and Osobu had one headed away by Ky Green on the six yard line, before Hinckley equalised a minute before the break.
After a spot of pinball on the edge of the Eynesbury box, the ball fell to Farruch who kept his composure to stroke into the far corner.
It felt a key moment in the game – with the wind blowing corner to corner, Hinckley had it at their backs in the second half and to go in level at the break represented a job well done by Joe Conneely’s charges.
So too did their start to the second half – within a minute, Roach’s diving save denied Farruch, but the resulting corner wasn’t dealt with and struck Flanagan before rebounding over the line to put Hinckley ahead.
It was nearly three a minute later – Farruch struck the post from close range after a bit of a scramble in the six yard box – but Hinckley didn’t have to wait too much longer for another goal.
Just after the hour, a defensive error let Jared Bradshaw in down the left, he squared for Jones, who took the ball superbly on the turn before firing into the roof of the net for his third goal in two games.
With a two-goal cushion, Hinckley lost their way a touch late on and Eynesbury came on strong towards the end, Osobu at the end of most of their chances as he twice forced Keelan Fallows to block at his near post and then volleyed wide from a cross.
But the destination of the points was never in too much doubt as Hinckley extend their own winning sequence to four games while ending Eynesbury’s own run of victories at three.
Hinckley: Keelan Fallows, Harry Walker-Donovan, Adam Barber, Zaki Evans (Oli Szymanski 73), Ky Green, Lewis Rankin (Christian Ngueusseu 79), Lucinee Donzo, Luke Jones, Jared Bradshaw (Bryan Kohyrelon 65), Leo Farruch (Jay D’Lionga 87), Calum Flanagan. Sub not used: Keaton Blackbird
Goals: Leo Farruch (44), Calum Flanagan (46), Luke Jones (63)
Eynesbury: Sam Roach, Stevan Shaw (Reece King 70), Harry Hurst, Leon Fulianty, Ollie Brookes, Dan Hammer, Josh Dobson (Jonny Hall 65), Michael King, Jake Coxall (Axel Owusu 61), Victor Osobu, Tak Chijota. Subs not used: Richard Chadwick
Goal: Victor Osobu (27)
Attendance: 146
