A goal on the stroke of half time saw Hinckley AFC fall to narrow defeat at title-chasing March Town United.
And though the bare figures show this as a third straight defeat for Hinckley, the performance was a vast improvement from the last two weeks.
AFC pushed their second-placed hosts all the way and can count themselves unfortunate to come away with nothing, having defended much better and posed a threat going forward.
They forced home ‘keeper Jonah Gill into a couple of super saves and had a couple cleared off the line, but in the end Flo Tsaguim’s strike just before the break was enough for the home side.
Hinckley made two changes to the side beaten heavily by Moulton last week as Drew Kear and Brady Middleton both returned.
It was an entertaining opening to the game – March had more of the ball, but Hinckley held their shape well and were a threat when they won it back.
And Middleton nearly made an immediate impact. He had the first effort, glancing a header wide after a flowing Hinckley move down the left, and the first shot on target as Gill comfortably held a strike from the edge of the box.
The pitch held up well despite heavy morning rain and both sides used that to their advantage. March’s biggest threat came down either flank through the lively Tsaguim and Rio Henson – the latter dragged their first chance wide when Liam Hook’s cross fell to him at the far post, and the same player then got to the byeline before Divin Emmanuel raced out quickly to block.
But it was Hinckley who ended the first half on top. Luke Jones bent a free-kick just wide, and then a couple of minutes later, Reece Massey picked out Middleton, who skipped past his man but with only Gill to beat the ‘keeper flung himself to his left to push it wide.
The home side were grateful to Gill again two minutes later – Jared Bradshaw’s wide free kick was glanced goalbound by Will Harris but Gill denied him at point blank range on the line, and Ashton DeMulder’s rebound was blocked as March scrambled clear.
And that proved crucial in the final minute of the half, when Tsaguim cut in from the right and fired an effort from the edge of the box which squirmed under Emmanuel’s grasp to put the hosts ahead.
The message from Hinckley at half time would have been not to change anything despite going behind, and they continued in much the same vain.
But with a lead to protect, March defended well and captain Danny Emmington barely lost a header all half to show why they have the best defensive record in the division – despite playing 20 minutes with 10 men following two sinbins.
Hinckley again had the first chance of the half, when Lucinee Donzo headed over from Middleton’s deflected cross, with March shouting for an offside flag that never came and that resulted in Adam Brumby being sent for a 10-minute breather.
And March thought they had a second with 18 minutes to play when a right-wing corner caused chaos and was twice cleared off the line by Chandler Pegg. The hosts protested that it had crossed the line, and Emmington’s frustrations saw him being sent to the sinbin just after Brumby had returned.
In that spell, Emmanuel denied a second when he saved from Toby Allen but Hinckley tried to take advantage of their extra man when Kear’s 25-yarder was tipped over at full stretch by Gill, and the resulting corner was cleared off the line.
By that time, you felt like it just wasn’t going to be Hinckley’s day and March managed the game well to ensure Emmington’s sinbin passed with as little action as possible in the 10 minutes.
March came close to a second when Dan Cotton’s fierce strike from the edge was pushed wide, but the final few minutes of stoppage time were played mostly in the corners as Hinckley couldn’t win the ball back and the hosts held on to condemn Hinckley to a third straight defeat.
March: Jonah Gill, Tyler Knowles (Lil Francisco 66), Adam Brumby, Liam Hook (James Hill-Seekings 61), Danny Emmington, Cav King, Flo Tsaguim, Matt Foy, Toby Allen (Jack Saunders 78), Ben Tait, Rio Henson (Dan Cotton 66). Subs not used: Sam Green.
Goal: Flo Tsaguim (45)
Hinckley: Divin Emmanuel, Drew Kear, Luke Jones, Lucinee Donzo, Jacob Shilton, Will Harris, Jared Bradshaw (Charlie Williams 65), Reece Massey (Gabe Webster 78), Ashton DeMulder (Chandler Pegg 70), Brady Middleton, Zach Tellyn. Subs not used: Jake Tullin, Prince Ogbe.
Attendance: 279
