AFC turned around a half time two goal deficit to win this league match, the first
time the club have played each other, with Sean Williams and Luke Richards getting
the goals.
However great a finish the game was, the start was poor for AFC and for most of the
first half were on the back foot struggling to get a grip of the game. Even if B4668
keeper Will Highland was the first to be tested taking Williams cross shot at the
second attempt, the away team took the lead moments later and pretty much dominated
the first half. Tom McGlinchey ran at the Hinckley defence, and backing off they invited
him to shoot, which he did with the ball sneaking in through a crowded area just inside
the left hand post. Tom Cross was called on to make saves from James Hicks, Amarvir Sandhu,
and Joe Lyne, but could do nothing about Hicks curling effort right on the stroke of
half time.
The second half was a different prospect for AFC as they clearly came out determined
and took the game to the away side. A superb run and cross from Williams was met by
Richards but headed straight at Highland, however these two players would combine time
and again giving the B4668 defence a torrid second half. A Williams cross struck a
defenders arm in the area, but the ref judged it to be 'ball to hand' before a crazy
decision from Highland gave AFC all the impetus they needed. Williams ran on to a
through ball into the area and having beaten Highland to the ball he was taken out by
the goal keeper stopping a clear goal scoring opportunity and for which Highland received
a red card. Marco Adaggio stepped up to take the penalty but chose the wrong time to
miss his first spot kick for AFC as he blazed it over the bar. However, it was only
minutes before all the AFC pressure finally took it's toll, as Williams again left his
marker and drilled in a low cross that Richards blasted into the net at the back post.
Richards then returned the favour by getting to the line and crossing the face of goal,
but no AFC player could get the final touch. The scores were levelled with 10 minutes
remaining when Williams received the ball on the right and deceived the defender by
switching inside and drilled across the goal keeper and in off the far post. The AFC
fans thought they'd seen the winning goal with minutes remaining however JJ Melligan
saw his header hit the post and away to safety. Yet in the fourth minute of injury
time those fans were sent delirious when a rare forward run from Alex Penney was not
checked and he crossed to the back post for local Hinckley lad Richards to head down
and past the keeper winning the game for AFC.
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B4668 match details
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