Hinckley AFC’s nine-match unbeaten run came to a shuddering halt as a crazy five-minute spell in the first half left them with too big a mountain to climb at Godmanchester Rovers.
The management team have called for their side to start games better despite their lengthy run of good results, but those words weren’t heeded in Cambridgeshire as AFC shipped four goals inside the first 25 minutes.
And although they gave themselves a glimmer of hope through goals from Jared Bradshaw and Jacob Shilton, the damage had already been done.
After the high of Monday’s win over Aylestone Park, this was a case of ‘back down to Earth with a bump’ for AFC, who didn’t adapt to the sandy pitch or gale-force winds, which they were playing into before the break.
And they were behind inside 10 minutes. It was a simple goal – from a corner, Craig Gillies escaped his marker and powered a free header home.
Ben Seymour-Shove then bent a curler narrowly wide from the corner of the box, but there wasn’t too much to choose between the sides before the short spell on which the result hinged.
Between the 20th and 25th minutes, Godmanchester scored three times, all of which were entirely avoidable from a Hinckley perspective. They were all similar – well-taken finishes punishing Hinckley for giving the ball away within 10 seconds of possession changing hands.
The pick of the goals was Godmanchester’s second – as Andre Williams picked up a scuffed clearance 25 yards out before taking one touch and firing home an excellent strike.
Seymour-Shove grabbed their third with a left-footed drive inside the far post on the angle, and Williams added further misery to Hinckley’s afternoon with a smart finish in off the post.
Shellshocked, Hinckley set about scaling the mountain that they’d given themselves. The returning Brady Middleton forced Conor Barton into action for the first time when the ‘keeper parried his shot into a dangerous area, and Bradshaw’s follow-up was blocked by a superb Zane Campbell recovery.
Barton then pushed wide from Jordan Clement’s 25-yarder before Hinckley had hope on the stroke of half time. From the resulting corner, Campbell handled and Bradshaw sent the ‘keeper the wrong way from the spot.
That gave AFC a glimmer, and they huffed and puffed after the break but creating chances was tough against a Godmanchester side intent on protecting their lead.
Zach Tellyn twice tested the ‘keeper, including with a free-kick that was fumbled by Barton but the hosts scrambled clear.
Hinckley needed a goal early in the half to make it interesting, but Barton then tipped over from Bradshaw before Will Harris’ strike from outside the box dipped just too late as it crashed against the bar.
After that, you got the sense it wasn’t going to be Hinckley’s day and that this would be one comeback effort too far, even despite Harris’ goalline clearance from Dan Brown.
The goal did come with six minutes left – Shilton’s shot on the turn was accurate if not particularly powerful, and Barton watched it roll past him into the corner to keep Hinckley in with a shout ahead of a lengthy period of stoppage time.
But the home side snuffed out any hope of a comeback, and Hinckley have a week to reflect and regroup before the visit of March Town United to Kirkby Road next weekend.
Godmanchester: Conor Barton, Josh Newman, Toby Jackson, Jonny Hall, Jamie Short, Scott Callaghan (Callum Fogg 70), Andre Williams (Ben Watford 96), Tom Unwin (Ollie Roth 93), Craig Gillies, Ben Seymour-Shove (Dan Brown 60), Zane Campbell.
Goals: Craig Gillies (9), Andre Williams (20, 25), Ben Seymour-Shove (23)
Hinckley: Keelan Fallows, Perry Cotton, James Sanderson (Henley Hadley 52 (Lewis Rankin 90)), Reece Massey (Amari Osayande 94), Jacob Shilton, Will Harris, Jared Bradshaw, Lucinee Donzo, Brady Middleton, Jordan Clement, Zach Tellyn. Subs not used: Jake Tullin, Caleb Yeboah
Goals: Jared Bradshaw (45 pen), Jacob Shilton (84)
Attendance: 167
