Hinckley AFC’s four-match winning run is over after a 3-0 loss at title-chasing Rugby Borough.
A fortnight before the turkey gets carved, it was the ghost of Christmas past who haunted Hinckley as former striker Brady Middleton, who was still playing in red and blue last month, scored at either end of the first half to put Borough in control.
And though Hinckley enjoyed good spells throughout the second half, they couldn’t score against a well-organised home defence and Shaun Ruzvidzo added a late third to seal it.
Hinckley were without Zaki Evans in midfield, and they missed his influence as they lacked the levels of ball retention they’d shown in recent weeks and moves broke down around halfway too frequently.
They went behind after seven minutes, as Hinckley appealed for an offside flag that never came and Middleton ran through to score.
Middleton had two similar chances to add to that, but was twice denied by Keelan Fallows – firstly an excellent save when Middleton went clean through on goal after a defensive error, and then another from a wider angle that was pushed away.
Hinckley gradually grew into the half – Jared Bradshaw earned half a yard of space on the penalty spot but dallied and Harry Sawyer nicked it away from him, and then John Meadows made the first of a series of super saves by tipping over Calum Flanagan’s header.
But just as Hinckley were starting to gain more of a foothold, the home side added a second. Shortly after Max Proudlock steered wide from a corner, Hinckley hesitated in dealing with a long ball and Middleton took advantage by lashing a shot from the edge of the box that squirmed under Fallows’ grasp.
A heavy touch prevented Middleton taking a chance for his hat-trick at the start of the second half, and for a time it looked as though Hinckley would make the most of that.
Midway through the second period, AFC had their best spell of the game and threatened first when Luke Jones weaved his way through a series of tackles. His shot was saved at full stretch by Meadows, but the ball rebounded off Sawyer who had to race back and hack off the line to prevent an own goal.
Then, Harry Walker-Donovan had one deflected wide, and from the resulting corners, the Borough defence looked uncertain but Meadows made another super save to deny Walker-Donovan from 10 yards.
Once Rugby Borough rode out that spell, they grew in confidence again and added a third late on through the game’s best moment of attacking quality. It all came from Ruzvidzo, who picked up the ball on the right flank and showed great feet to dance past a series of challenges and slot into the far corner to seal their win and bring Hinckley’s good run to an end.
Rugby Borough: John Meadows, Harry Sawyer, Danny Fraser, Max Proudlock, Oran Jackson, Adam Miles, Luke Downes, Antonio Cristofaro (Zach Tellyn 79), Brady Middleton, Shaun Ruzvidzo, Rio Henson (David Kolodynski 71). Subs not used: Roger Lee, Thabang Dube.
Goals: Brady Middleton (7, 38), Shaun Ruzvidzo (89)
Hinckley: Keelan Fallows, Harry Walker-Donovan, Adam Barber, Lucinee Donzo, Ky Green, Oli Szymanski, Lewis Rankin (Bryan Kohyrelon 65), Luke Jones, Jared Bradshaw (Keaton Blackbird 74), Leo Farruch, Calum Flanagan. Subs not used: Sam Belcher, Jay D’Lionga, Divin Emmanuel.
Attendance: 127
