Hinckley AFC 4-1 Pilkington XXX

Sam Agar was Hinckley AFC’s four-goal hero as they recorded a 4-1 win over Pilkington XXX at St John’s Park.

In a win that moves them above their visitors to sixth in the table, Agar scored two goals before half time as Hinckley raced into an early lead, and another two late on to secure the win after Pilkington pulled one back through Kieran McCalla.

Carl Abbott made two changes to the Hinckley side that drew with Pelsall Villa last week – David Blenkinsopp and Bilal Yafai making way for Luke Richards and Lee Butler.

It didn’t take Hinckley long to settle into the game, and Agar provided a threat throughout, giving his side the lead before the quarter hour mark. Isaac Cooper’s did well on the left, and saw his peach of a cross met by Agar’s header which nestled in the back of the net.

The same duo were involved again in Hinckley’s second shortly after. Cooper’s fine ball set up Ryan Seal, who squared for Agar to double the lead, finishing comfortably from close range.

But Pilkington responded well after the break, and had a golden chance to halve the deficit when Greg Pearson’s lazy challenge in the box gave them a penalty. Tom Cross, though, saved his second consecutive spot kick, getting a strong hand to Dale Kenny’s spot kick and clawing it away from the corner.

From the resulting corner, though, Pilks did pull one back. Hinckley defended the set piece poorly and allowed McCalla to latch onto the loose ball and finish to get his side back in the game.

Hinckley weren’t to be denied the win, and as the game approached its end Agar bagged the matchball, lifting the ball over the onrushing Reece Francis from 25 yards.

And the clinical former Stafford Town man wasn’t finished there. scoring his fourth from close range in stoppage time to round off Hinckley’s fifth win in seven.