Northern Premier League Midlands
Leicester Road, Hinckley
Saturday, 13th April 2024, 3.00pm
Defeat On The Road For Rovers
Anyone watching the league table on Football Webpages would have seen the bottom place in our league changing several times during the game with Rovers ending up bottom as all the game ended but everything is still to play for with two games remaining.
Rovers welcomed back Kieran O’Connell but were without Josh Egginton due to a private commitment.
The difference between a side struggling at the bottom and one hoping to get into the pay-off places was evident during this game with one side taking their chances in front of goal and the other only creating one solitary attempt on goal but one that produced a spectacular goal.
In front of a good number of travelling supporters Rovers were under pressure from the off as Hinckley pushed forward and were soon in front. A corner on the left was played back to Harry Wakefield who fired a low shot across the area avoiding all the players and finding the bottom far corner of the net, whether it was meant is debatable, but it should have been stopped on its travels.
Midway during the half Rovers went close to falling further behind when a corner found Andre Williams who had the space and time but planted his header narrowly over the bar from close in. On 33 minutes another home chance went begging when a scramble a yard or so from Rovers’ goal ended with the visitors somehow managing to clear the danger.
The home side did not have long to wait to double their advantage. A long ball caught the Rovers’ back line out and the ball landed in the path of Aaron Nuttall who raced forward before cutting in and blasting the ball past the exposed Louie Turner.
The nearest Rovers got to putting a shot on target came just before the break, Jack Tyson squared a ball to Connor Pace who’s strongly hit ball was deflected as it headed towards goal.
Hinckley continued to press forward at the start of the second half and Nuttall went close with a shot just wide of the far post.
Rovers made their first change on 59 minutes with O’Connell being replaced by Ben Price for his debut, but the visitors continued to cause themselves problems. A short back pass to Turner by the normally reliable John Guy allowed Williams to nip in and slot the ball home.
More changes for both sides with Jenson Cooper replacing Tyson for the visitors and Liam Read and Jordan Burrows replacing Williams and Jarred Acton for the home side. Rovers completed their changes minutes later with Ethan Goodfellw on for Charlie Knowles.
Rovers, who had played much better in the second half, were rewarded for the endeavours in spectacular fashion on 72 minutes, A ball was only half cleared by Hinckley and Dylan Hunniford collected it around 25 yards out and put a terrific shot over home keeper Will Highland and into the net.
The rest of the game began to fizzle out with Hinckley making their final change with Jude Kutshienza replacing Michael Armstrong.
With both Rugby and Rushden managing a draw apiece in their games Rovers slipped back to the bottom of the league on goal difference meaning the midweek game at Shepshed will be a pressure game if Rovers are going to have any chance of holding onto their Northern Premier League place for next season.
