Hinckley AFC played out their first goalless draw in more than a year with nothing to separate them from Nuneaton Griff at The Pingles Stadium.
In a game with precious little goalmouth action, the two sides cancelled each other out for the large part and both sides will settle for their clean sheet and a point apiece.
The returning Jack Edwards was handed an immediate starting berth as one of a number of changes made by manager Joe Conneely from last week’s draw at Heath Hayes.
They included a start for two-goal hero Lewis Padmore but he, along with Hinckley’s other attacking players, didn’t see enough of the ball to be a threat.
Lewis Collins saw an early chance blocked on his return to his former club, before holding up for Joe McNulty to slice too high from a set piece.
But the half’s two closest efforts came in its final ten minutes. Griff’s Todd Loveitt fired just over from a Sam Belcher set piece, while Hinckley’s chance also came from a corner but Luke Wilson headed wide when he should have hit the target at the far post.
Hinckley’s best spell of the game came just after the break. Their best move of the night came straight from kick off when Lewis Rankin dragged Jeremie Agholor’s low cross wide of goal.
Then, a well-worked free kick saw Edwards hit the base of a post as he was denied by a combination of the woodwork and Joe Salisbury.
By this stage, Hinckley had much of the ball but couldn’t break down a well organised Griff defence. Salisbury saved Padmore’s deflected strike and then Agholor saw a good ball into the box evade his two strikers.
Hinckley were boosted by the return of Tom Weale with six minutes to play, the influential midfielder making his first appearance of the season after injury.
But still neither side could break the deadlock and after squandering a final chance each – Ryan Murphy miskicked from 12 yards before Nick Clark headed comfortably off target – it left both sides needing to be content with a point apiece as Hinckley still seek an end to their stuttering away form.
Griff: Joe Salisbury, Ryan Aston (Jason Corbett 84), Liam Stringer, Todd Loveitt, Corey Alcock, Luke Sherwood (Liam Cross 82), Ross Proudlock, Brady Floyd, Nick Clark, Sam Belcher Chanda Mulenga 64), Ross Thacker. Subs not used: Joe Miles, Aden Moore
Hinckley: Brandon Bache, Harry Walker-Donovan, Adam Barber, Ben Newport (Fortune Sibanda 56), Luke Wilson, Joe McNulty, Lewis Padmore (Emile Beckford 70), Lewis Collins (Ryan Murphy 56), Jack Edwards, Lewis Rankin (Tom Weale 84), Jeremie Agholor. Sub not used: Jack Beasley
