Hinckley AFC’s United Counties League Cup run and 10-match winning streak at home are both over after losing out 4-3 to Lincoln United in a thrilling quarter-final.
Against visitors who are riding high in the Premier Division North table, Hinckley took an early lead through Jared Bradshaw’s magnificent free-kick but were behind 2-1 at the break.
Two more goals put the visitors in control, and though Hinckley came back again through Lucinee Donzo and Bryan Kohyrelon, it wasn’t enough to force a penalty shoot-out.
Lincoln United started the brighter and had a couple of half chances early on, but it was Hinckley who took the lead on 15 minutes through a sensational goal. Bradshaw rivalled his own Goal of the Season contender from six weeks ago at Yaxley with a similar effort, this free-kick not quite as far out but just as deadly accurate as his 25-yard strike whistled into the top corner.
The visitors then scrambled an effort clear with Kohyrelon and Harry Walker-Donovan lurking, but they were a regular threat and equalised on the half hour. Gbola Okewoye was their driving force down the left, he found Scott Matthews whose scuffed shot was going wide until Tristan Drummond forced it home from a narrow angle, with Keelan Fallows’ endeavours unable to claw it away – a scrappier effort than Hinckley’s opener, but just as important.
Okewoye and Matthews combined again two minutes later, once again the former setting up the latter, whose shot was deflected into the bottom corner and suddenly the game had turned on its head.
Hinckley’s best chances to equalise came either side of the break, when first Chandler Pegg headed George Atwal’s cross narrowly over, and then Atwal picked out Adam Barber whose first touch was precise but his shot was saved by Phil McGann in the Lincoln goal.
And that save proved crucial just a couple of minutes later when they added a third. Okewoye’s shot was deflected wide, but the resulting corner deflected off a couple of Hinckley bodies before ending up in the back of the net off Barber.
The lively Okewoye then struck the outside of the post with a snapshot, before the visitors looked to have secured the game through another assist for their Lincoln City loanee, who fed Jack McMenemy to cut past his man and bury clinically.
But Hinckley refused to lie down, and pulled a goal back within five minutes. Two substitutes combined as Luke Jones’ effort was parried by McGann, and Donzo followed up to score his first Hinckley goal at the second attempt, after his first came back off the post.
AFC had plenty of the play in the final 10 minutes, but lacked quality in the final third to create much until stoppage time, when Kohyrelon scored another superb individual goal, twisting past three defenders before shooting low past McGann.
But it was too late for Hinckley to extend their cup run, and Lincoln held on to reach the semi-finals while Hinckley will now put all their focus on their final eight league games.
Hinckley: Keelan Fallows, Harry Walker-Donovan (Jay D’Lionga 40), Adam Barber, George Atwal (Lucinee Donzo 72), Calum Flanagan, Joe Obi (Luke Jones 57), Zaki Evans, Chandler Pegg (Lewis Rankin 57), Jared Bradshaw, Bryan Kohyrelon, Ky Green. Sub not used: Sam Belcher
Goals: Jared Bradshaw (16), Lucinee Donzo (74), Bryan Kohyrelon (93)
Lincoln Utd: Phil McGann, Jaime Ture (Tristan Drummond 25), Kelly Fombad, Tom Hipwell, Evan Payne, Henry Moore (Jack Varley 46), Harry Millard (Jack McMenemy 65), Leo Priestley, Scott Matthews, Paul Grimes, Gbola Okewoye (James Chester 87). Sub not used: Elliot Dye
Goals: Tristan Drummond (30), Scott Matthews (32), Adam Barber (56 OG), Jack McMenemy (70)
Attendance: 183
