Hinckley AFC put their three defeats behind them as they beat Northampton Sileby Rangers 3-1 to make it 10 wins from 11 home league games.
With injuries continuing to bite, Hinckley were forced to field another makeshift side as striker Chandler Pegg played at centre-back, while there was a first senior start for youth team winger Keaton Blackbird.
But both of them impressed and found the scoresheet to add to Luke Jones’ opener, as Joe Conneely’s side got back to winning ways in the spring sunshine.
After a quiet opening, Hinckley took the lead after 19 minutes. Bryan Kohyrelon’s pressure caught Luke Stevens in possession, and the striker found Jones who squeezed home at the near post to put his side ahead.
The lead nearly didn’t last – Hinckley were untidy for a period that followed and after a good block from Calum Flanagan, Sileby came close when Jack Daldy headed a cross against the bar.
But they took that lead into the break, and nearly added a second but Kohyrelon fired over after good work by Jared Bradshaw.
Sileby made a triple substitution at the break, but Hinckley’s best spell of the game followed in the early part of the second half. Leo Farruch forced a smart save from Dean Love, before Pegg’s effort from the resulting corner was deflected not far over.
Then, Love denied Farruch again before Hinckley did double their lead shortly before the hour. Pegg, up from centre-back, showed his usual striker’s instinct to head home a corner from close range.
Jones and Kohyrelon combined again soon after, the former seeing two shots blocked after the latter’s mazy run, and Jones stabbed wide from the edge of the box as Hinckley sought a third that would put the game to bed.
But instead, the complexion of the game changed midway through the half as Hinckley gave the ball away deep inside their own half, and Sileby crossed deep for one of their half-time changes, Aaron Dickens, to head home at the far post.
The visitors gained in confidence after that, and saw plenty of the ball for the next 15 minutes, but they rode out that spell with Keelan Fallows not tested too much.
And Hinckley sealed the game with four minutes to play, when Blackbird picked up Farruch’s pass on the wing and drove into the box, cutting past his man before a cool finish capped off his first start with a first senior goal.
It rounded off an excellent performance from Hinckley’s young side, and meant they stay in ninth heading into the final three games of the season.
Hinckley: Keelan Fallows, Oli Szymanski, Jay D’Lionga, Zaki Evans, Calum Flanagan, Chandler Pegg, Keaton Blackbird (Randy Doudu 90), Jared Bradshaw, Bryan Kohyrelon, Luke Jones (Caleb Yeboah 78), Leo Farruch. Subs not used: Luca Bien, Sam Belcher.
Goals: Luke Jones (19), Chandler Pegg (58), Keaton Blackbird (86)
Sileby: Dean Love, Ross Garlick, Jack Daldy, Luke Stevens (Joe Callaghan 78), Claston Gordon (Lamin Jammeh 46), Josh Drain, Ben Fitzjohn, Reed Murphy (Aaron Dickens 46), Elliot Sandy, Harrison Knight (Jake Nagy 46), Rico Alexander. Sub not used: John Bowers
Goal: Aaron Dickens (65)
Attendance: 218
