Hinckley responded well to last weekend’s late defeat with an excellent performance to earn three points that see them leap-frog hosts Daventry Town and back into the play-off spots.
It was a display in which everyone put in a real shift. Leo Farruch was close on unplayable in the first half, scoring one and creating the other two that gave them the half time advantage, whilst after the break, Calum Flanagan showed all his defensive expertise and experience to help preserve their lead.
Birthday boy Joe Conneely made a couple of changes as Lewis Rankin returned to the starting lineup and he made a crucial contribution to an impressive first half showing.
Hinckley made a fast start and went ahead on seven minutes, a superb goal from Farruch who still had much to do as he received the ball in the inside left channel but he kept his composure and neatly struck the ball between the legs of the onrushing Lewis Patching.
AFC doubled their lead on the quarter hour mark, they broke quickly and Farruch made ground before playing in Chandler Pegg and when his shot was parried by Patching, Rankin pounced to convert the rebound.
Within a minute, Daventry got themselves back into the game as Rhys Hoenes scored and we had a game on our hands between two sides divided by just a point at the start of play.
Both teams looked to get forward at every opportunity, but it was the visitors who carried the greater threat particularly with Farruch, who was outstanding on Hinckley’s left flank and he was behind their third seven minutes before the break. Another surging run took him into the penalty area and his shot was saved but the ‘keeper couldn’t hold on and it was goal poacher Rankin who again seized on the loose ball to score his second of the afternoon.
That gave Hinckley a two-goal lead at the interval, and the next goal was crucial, but it never came.
Hinckley’s back four were outstanding, well marshalled by Flanagan they defended solidly when they had to in the second half and Keelan Fallows didn’t have a save to make.
It meant AFC played the game out with a degree of comfort to make the gaffer’s birthday cake taste that little bit sweeter.
Daventry: Lewis Patching, Leo Jenkins (Kelvin Moyo 46), Lewis Burgess, Jack Ashton (Dylan Wilson 73), Tom Wood, Archie May, Luke Knight, Dodzi Agbenu (Kyle Hutchinson 61), Luke Emery (Mateo Rinaldi 80), Jordan O’Brien, Rhys Hoenes. Sub not used: Iustin Cerga.
Goal: Rhys Hoenes (16)
Hinckley: Keelan Fallows, Oli Szymanski, Adam Barber, Zaki Evans, Calum Flanagan, Jasper Tetlow, Luke Jones (Jared Bradshaw 61), Lucinee Donzo, Chandler Pegg (Harry Walker-Donovan 76), Lewis Rankin (Isa Abraham 63), Leo Farruch (Bryan Kohyrelon 68). Sub not used: Jay D’Lionga.
Goals: Leo Farruch (7), Lewis Rankin (14, 38)
Attendance: 169
