Hinckley AFC cruised into the first round of the FA Vase after three goals in each half knocked out Highgate United at Kirkby Road.
After consecutive exits at the first hurdle, Hinckley are into the proper rounds of the Vase for the first time since promotion to step five following a comfortable night.
Chandler Pegg and Zach Tellyn scored twice each, with one for the returning Prince Ogbe and an own goal capping off Chris Tullin’s first win as manager.
Ogbe made his first appearance of the season and his impact was telling, adding a different dimension to the Hinckley attack.
He probably should have scored earlier than he did, shooting straight at goalkeeper Sean Wilson from 12 yards after being picked out by Drew Kear.
For a side who have lost every game so far, Highgate moved the ball quite well in the early stages but Hinckley still created the best chances – Pegg was also thwarted by Wilson when he ran through one-on-one and Tellyn bent one wide after showing neat feet 25 yards out.
Highgate had their moments, all from set pieces – a miskick after a free kick was nodded back across goal, before Ollie Bosworth had to make a smart save after a long throw was allowed to run through to the six yard box and then Danny Fraser cleared off the line from a corner.
But once Hinckley grabbed the opener on the half hour, there was no looking back. The deadlock was broken by a rasping finish from Ogbe, who lashed home the loose ball after Drew Kear’s cross was blocked.
And that sparked a spell of three goals in four minutes, by the end of which, Hinckley’s progression was all but assured. Ogbe turned provider just a minute later, beating Harvey Chahal to the byline and crossing for Pegg to convert with a stooping header.
And the cheers had barely died down from that when Tellyn picked up a bouncing ball 25 yards out and brought it under his spell before bending one into the top corner.
Highgate did get their goal in first-half stoppage time, an unfortunate one for Hinckley to concede as a 25-yard free-kick took a wicked deflection off the wall to give the wrongfooted Bosworth no chance.
The second half was a quieter affair, Hinckley kept the ball nicely and Highgate never really had a sighter of narrowing the deficit further.
And Hinckley extended their lead on 58 minutes when Danny Fraser’s free kick was headed into his own net by Sebastian Deans.
Wilson was then called into action three times in quick succession as he saved from Tellyn, Kear and Shaun Watkins, before Kear should have made it five but put a free header wide from Ogbe’s cross.
Highgate’s best chance came when they blazed over on the angle after Hinckley gave the ball away, but most of the action came at the other end.
Highgate had already escaped punishment for nasty challenges that forced Tellyn and Ogbe off the field when they were reduced to 10 men with seven minutes left, although this was a soft red card for substitute Oliver Ostapiuk for a last man foul on Pegg – and Tellyn made them pay double when he fired home the resulting free kick.
And it was Pegg who had the last laugh with three minutes left when he escaped his marker to head home Tellyn’s corner, to wrap up an emphatic win that sees Hinckley into Monday’s first round draw.
Hinckley: Ollie Bosworth, Jacob Shilton, Danny Fraser (Luke Jones 85), Jake Tullin, Ky Green (Lewis Warnaby 58), Shaun Watkins (Najeem Oriola 87), Drew Kear, Gabe Webster, Chandler Pegg (Dan Edmonds 87), Zach Tellyn, Prince Ogbe (Fin Barker 87).
Goals: Prince Ogbe (31), Chandler Pegg (32, 87), Zach Tellyn (34, 83), Sebastian Deans (58 OG)
Highgate: Sean Wilson, Lewis Percival, Roger Davis, Harvey Chahal, Kyle Porter, Billy Powles (Marley Paz 67), Sebastian Deans (Oliver Ostapiuk 67), Louie Clifford, Fabian Davis, Alfie Merriman, Ashley Smith (Daniel Kimpungui 73).
Attendance: 171
