Hinckley’s return to the Leicestershire Challenge Cup was a brief one as they bowed out at the first hurdle, but only after a penalty shoot-out against step four Quorn.
In a keenly contested game, AFC were good value for their half time lead through Bryan Kohyrelon.
But a quickfire double from the visitors early in the second half turned the game their way, before Josh Beeson popped up deep into time added on to level it and send the tie to a shoot-out.
A howling wind and lashing rain made for horrendous conditions, and players on both sides deserve enormous credit for providing such a good spectacle. The sides traded early chances as Divin Emmanuel saved from Shaun Rehal and Jon De Lacerda whilst Harry Walker-Donovan struck the bar for the hosts and Lewis Rankin curled an effort wide.
As the half developed, Hinckley got on top and took the lead on the half hour. It was a superbly taken goal from Kohyrelon who timed his run perfectly to receive Rankin’s incisive pass and kept his cool to beat the keeper.
Hinckley almost doubled their lead just before the break, another Rankin pass played in Jack Edwards whose shot was well beaten away by Tom Allsopp, and the home side were left to rue that chance as Quorn turned the game around with two goals inside five minutes early in the second half.
They levelled with a freakish own goal, Allsopp’s huge wind assisted clearance led to scenes of confusion in the AFC defence with Alex Vineall getting the final touch as the ball rolled agonisingly over the line.
AFC were still reeling when the visitors quickly went ahead, a fine finish from Leo Farruch who drove home from the left hand side of the area.
Hinckley mounted a late response to try and salvage an equaliser, Edwards was unlucky when his goalbound effort was blocked for a corner before they eventually got their reward deep into injury time as Beeson reacted quickest to slam home a loose ball from close range.
And so to penalties. The visitors scored all four of their kicks, Sam Belcher, Edwards and Joe Obi converted for Hinckley but, crucially, Allsopp made superb saves from Jared Bradshaw and Luke Jones and it’s Quorn who go through.
Hinckley: Divin Emmanuel, Jay D’Lionga (Josh Beeson 61), Adam Barber, Jack Edwards, Alex Vineall (Joe Obi 90), Oliwier Szymanski, Lewis Rankin (Luke Jones 72), Zaki Evans, Bryan Kohyrelon (Sam Belcher 90), Jared Bradshaw, Harry Walker-Donovan.
Goals: Bryan Kohyrelon (30), Josh Beeson (93)
Quorn: Tom Allsopp, Joe Goodwin (Kian Morrison 46), Zhani Burgess, Kane Auld, Jasper Tetlow, Jack York (Reece Fyfe 40), Josh Allen (Oscar Marshall 71), Shaun Rehal (Cain Noble 65), Jon De Lacerda, Mitch White, Leo Farruch.
Goals: Alex Vineall (58 OG), Leo Farruch (61)
Attendance: 153
