Bromsgrove Sporting 2-6 Hinckley AFC
A memorable day for Hinckley AFC saw Carl Abbott’s side put six past league rivals Bromsgrove Sporting in the FA Cup Preliminary Round.
AFC booked themselves a place in the qualifying rounds of the world’s most famous club cup competition with a performance that saw them dominate their hosts from start to finish, even before The Rouslers’ Simon Fitter was controversially sent off.
The score was 1-1 at that stage, but once Nathan Walker scored the resulting free kick the result was never in doubt as braces from Luke Richards and Marco Adaggio helped AFC on their way to a date with Redditch United on Saturday 12th September.
Abbott made just one change to the Hinckley side that beat Lichfield City in the week, with Sam Arnold taking his place in goal ahead of Jack Hartopp.
AFC kicked up the slope at The Victoria Ground in the first half, and took an early lead after just seven minutes. After receiving the ball from a throw in, Sean Williams crossed low to the edge of the box, from where Richards found the bottom corner.
The lead lasted just nine minutes though, and the hosts equalised when Sam Wills headed a floated cross beyond Arnold.
Despite the equaliser, Hinckley had started the game the brighter of the two sides, and their dominance was only going to increase after the eighteenth minute. Javia Roberts put himself between Fitter and the ball, and the Bromsgrove centre back was shown red after taking both man and ball.
Bromsgrove’s frustrations were heightened from the resulting free kick, which Walker curled into the top corner from 25 yards, giving Brendon Bunn no chance.
Just a minute later the Hinckley following, slightly depleted after the supporters coach broke down en route to the ground, were celebrating again as Jean Kalenda found the net with an emphatic strike after a number of ricochets in the box.
As the game approached half time, Bromsgrove started to re-group, and Arnold was forced into a fine stop to claw over Luke Dugmore’s effort.
But the home side were hit with a sucker punch a minute before the interval, when Walker’s defence splitting pass found Adaggio, who took one touch to compose himself and slotted home his 30th goal for the club.
Th second half performance was a very professional one from Hinckley, and shortly after Adaggio’s near post effort was well saved, Richards made it 5-1 by rounding the keeper after Roberts won back possession.
Dale Edwards almost pulled one back for Bromsgrove, but his effort was mopped up by the recovering Hinckley defence.
With twelve minutes to go, Bromsgrove scored nothing more than a consolation as Josh McKenzie headed home at the far post after beating Mitchell Tomlinson.
Then, substitute Deqwon Ebanks nearly scored a sixth but saw his shot cannon off the underside of the bar.
The sixth goal did arrive in stoppage time. Richards’ shot smashed against the post after a mazy run, and Adaggio converted the rebound from close range to round off a day that the healthy away following will remember for years to come.
Bromsgrove: Brendon Bunn, Aaron Roberts, Brendan Kelly, Simon Fitter, Craig Jones, James McKeon (Scott Smith 22), Luke Dugmore (Jon Myrie 69), Reece Hewitt (Joe Adams 59), Josh McKenzie, Sam Wills, Dale Edwards. Subs not used: Sean Brain, Shaun Edwards, Oliver Gibson, John Pykett
Goals: Sam Wills (16), Josh McKenzie (78).
Hinckley: Sam Arnold, Mitchell Tomlinson, Alex Morris, Dom Smith, Jean Kalenda, Neil MacKenzie (Darious Darkin 60), Javia Roberts (Rico Taylor 60), Nathan Walker, Sean Williams (Deqwon Ebanks 72), Marco Adaggio, Luke Richards. Subs not used: Jack Hartopp, Oli Basham, Jamie Newton, Justin Nisbett.
Goals: Luke Richards (7, 53), Nathan Walker (19), Jean Kalenda (20), Marco Adaggio (44, 90+2).
Attendance: 386
