A5 derby day ended in Nuneaton Town’s favour as Chandler Pegg’s 50th Hinckley goal wasn’t enough to earn AFC a point at Kirkby Road.
A bumper crowd of 775 turned out to watch Hinckley’s first home game against Nuneaton since 2011, AFC’s highest home attendance for a regular league game.
And they saw Nuneaton come out of the blocks quickly, taking a two-goal lead through James Harrison and Eesa Sawyers.
Pegg’s landmark strike gave Hinckley hope, and they came on strong after the break but couldn’t break down a resolute visiting defence, who showed their title-winning credentials in snuffing out a win to extend their lead at the top.
Nuneaton started the brighter, playing with the confidence of a side top of the table. Divin Emmanuel made a double-save, pushing away Loyiso Recci’s cross and then Kyle Jardine’s strike from the edge of the box, but the visitors took the lead soon after. Harrison received a throw on the edge of the box, spun his man and fired home at the near post.
They continued to move the ball well, Aaron Williams and Sawyers both had efforts deflected wide, but Hinckley hung in there well and competed much better than in the reverse fixture in October.
Reece Massey’s snapshot from 40 yards called Brandon Bache into action for the first time, and then the recovering Recci blocked from Pegg in the box after he’d been set free by Brady Middleton.
Nuneaton scrambled the resulting corner clear, and looked set for a second on the counter but Sawyers was denied by a magnificent last-ditch tackle from Alex Dean.
But that proved costly for Hinckley moments later. Dean picked up an injury in making that tackle, and he was off the field when Callum Carsley took advantage of the right-back’s absence to bound down the left and drill a low cross for Sawyers to tap home.
Hinckley, though, hit back in first-half stoppage time, an excellent team move ending with Middleton breaking the offside trap to latch onto Zach Tellyn’s pass and square for Pegg, who tapped past his close friend and former teammate Bache to reach his half-century.
That changed the feeling of the game somewhat, and it was Hinckley came out with more confidence on the ball after the break but Nuneaton defended well to prevent Bache being tested.
Instead, it was Nuneaton who had the better chances – Emmanuel made a superb fingertip save to push wide Harrison’s glancing header, and then Carsley ran onto a right-wing cross and smashed his effort against the bar.
Those breaks kept Hinckley in the game, but the closest they came to an equaliser was when Pegg got a sighter but was crowded out by Michael McGrath, and the resulting corner saw a loose ball deflected over from close range.
And the visitors held on to extend their winning run and leave Hinckley reflecting on another match where they were close, but not quite close enough.
Hinckley: Divin Emmanuel, Alex Dean (Ashton DeMulder 44), Gabe Webster, Jake Tullin, Jacob Shilton, Reece Massey (Charlie Williams 77), Alex Lock, Zaki Evans (James Sanderson 88), Chandler Pegg, Brady Middleton (Lewis Rankin 67), Zach Tellyn.
Goal: Chandler Pegg (45+2)
Nuneaton: Brandon Bache, Kai Thomas, Callum Carsley, Michael McGrath, Loyiso Recci, Stuart Hendrie (Declan Somel 59), Kyle Jardine (Justin Marsden 81), Aaron Williams, James Harrison, Eesa Sawyers, Charlie Jones. Subs not used: Dante Hesson, Courtney Nyakuhwa, Kamol Campbell.
Goals: James Harrison (9), Eesa Sawyers (43)
Attendance: 775
