Atletico were comfortable winners as they returned to league action for the first time
since Boxing Day, and controlled this match against Southam United from start to finish.
The extended break forced by the weather had given a number of injured players the chance
to recover and 5 changes were made to the team that finished 2015. Southam United have
struggled this season, currently being towards the bottom of the league, and as you'd expect
AFC had the majority of possession and controlled most of the game. Luke Richards had an
early shot that was smothered by Matt Archer, but he was powerless to stop Hinckley taking
the lead on 20 minutes. Southam defence failed to pick up Marcus Jackson from a short corner,
and he took the ball just inside the area on the right and fired a low shot across Archer,
into the far corner of the net. Southam responded briefly forcing Tom Cross into a regulation
save from Alex Andrews, before Cross received a yellow card as a badly bouncing high ball
caught him out and handled the ball just outside the right side of his area. Hinckley took
control of the match on the half hour when Ryan Seal combined well Greg Pearson and a great
finish from Pearson saw him place the ball around a stranded Archer, making it 2-0 to Hinckley.
Pearson should have then made it 3-0 just before half time but somehow mis-cued his effort
when presented with an open goal.
However that miss was forgotten in the first minute of the second half when Pearson did score
his second, finishing off a superb right wing cross from Jackson. With a comfortable lead,
Marco Adaggio came on as a second half sub on the hour and almost with his first touch, he
went past two defenders on the left of the area, brought the ball inside and drilled the ball
past Archer, scoring Hinckley's fourth. The final half an hour saw AFC dominate possession
but were unable to convert chances into goals. Adaggio had another effort cleared off the
line, Archer saved a Jackson effort at his near post, Lee Thomas drilled a cross through the
area that no one could finish off and Pearson headed another Jackson cross over the bar.
AFC had to settle for four goals, but an excellent start to the new year just the same.
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Southam United match details
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