A typically classy finish from Zach Tellyn capped a superb team display as Hinckley claimed a 1-0 victory at third placed Clay Cross Town.
Hinckley had to put in a real shift to overcome their hosts and defended with great discipline throughout with Tellyn’s first half goal enough to secure the points.
Divin Emmanuel and Ky Green made welcome returns to the defence and they were quickly in the thick of the action. Clay Cross moved the ball well as they dominated the early stages and forced a couple of corners and a well-placed free kick that came to nothing.
After Basile Zottos curled an effort just over, the game’s decisive moment came after 13 minutes. Home keeper Dylan Wharton raced from his area to stop an attack, but the loose ball fell to Tellyn, some 25 yards from goal, and spotting the keeper out of position, he kept his composure to lob the ball home.
Clay Cross responded well to that setback and Emmanuel saved from Brodie Litchfield and Mckeal Abdullah whilst Litchfield’s jinking run saw him move into the box before shooting wide when well placed.
Having withstood that pressure, Hinckley finished the half well. Tellyn’s slide-rule pass picked out Chandler Pegg in the box who was denied by a superb last ditch tackle before Tellyn’s long range shot brought a flying save from Wharton.
An open first half turned into a tighter affair after the break. Chances were limited, Clay Cross had much of the ball and fought desperately to get back into the game, making a series of changes, but Hinckley stood up to the test well with a steely determination to keep a clean sheet. Indeed so well did they defend, that Emmanuel didn’t have to make a save after the break.
Jake Tullin came close to making the game safe for Hinckley when he met Tellyn’s deep free kick, but Wharton beat away his well struck shot before the game entered its closing stages as the home side tried to salvage something.
They forced a series of free kicks around the edge of the area to leave visiting fans biting their nails, but they needn’t have worried as Hinckley’s resolute back line thwarted their hosts to earn three excellent points.
Clay Cross: Dylan Wharton, Jamie Bonsor (Adam Blakeley 56), Lewis Murr, Jonathan Kaye (Cian Zamboglou 56), Cody Collins (Will Robinson 37), Jamie Sharman, Brodie Litchfield, Jack Moore-Billam, Mckeal Abdullah, Harley Moore (Jackson Oswald 83), Basile Zottos. Sub not used: Lewis Greenfield.
Hinckley: Divin Emmanuel, Drew Kear, Danny Fraser, Jake Tullin, Ky Green, Shaun Watkins, George Dimmock (Najeem Oriola 51), Gabe Webster, Chandler Pegg, Zach Tellyn (Max Kirby 85), Prince Ogbe. Subs not used: Charlie Williams, Jordan Gray, Chris Tullin.
Goal: Zach Tellyn (15)
Attendance: 125
