Quick-fire win for AFC

Hinckley into last 16 of FA Vase thanks to emphatic victory

A STUNNING start saw Hinckley AFC net three times in the first nine minutes as they reached the last 16 of the Buildbase FA Vase with a 5-0 win over Berkhamsted at St John’s Park, writes Liam Gibbs.

Lee Butler’s 20-yard free-kick gave AFC a second minute lead, before Luke Richards put Carl Abbott’s side in dreamland by adding two more before the game had reached the 10 minute mark.

And an emphatic win was ensured after the break as Javia Roberts and Ryan Seal put the game beyond doubt.

In truth, AFC were on top from the start, and although they had strong penalty shouts turned down less than a minute in, those frustrations were banished just 90 seconds later when Butler curled a fine set piece into the top corner.

That gave AFC the perfect start, but what followed was beyond the wildest dreams of even the most optimistic Hinckley fan.

On seven minutes, a flowing team move ended with Lee Thomas to crossing low to the edge of the six yard box, where Richards made no mistake.

And just two minutes later it was 3-0. Seal sent Richards through on goal, the striker rounding Comrades keeper Carl Tasker, slotting into the empty net for his 50th Hinckley goal and sending the home supporters into jubilation.

Shellshocked by Hinckley’s start, only then did Berkhamsted start to settle into the game, but although they saw more of the ball Hinckley’s backline restricted them to half chances at best.

If Berko were to give themselves hope, they needed a goal early in the second half but Hinckley soon put any notion of a comeback to bed by netting a fourth two minutes after the break.

Seal had a sight of goal but was denied by Tasker, and the ball fell to Roberts inside the six yard box, who converted from a narrow angle.

And Seal made the win more emphatic just after the hour mark. Tasker lost his footing, allowing Seal to run through on goal and slot home a fifth.

Richards was then not far from securing his hat-trick, and it wasn’t until the last half hour that Berkhamsted had a chance of note.

It came midway through the half, when Lewis got to the byline and pulled back to the edge of the box, where Ashton Campbell drilled wide.

But that wasn’t to worry Hinckley, who had done the damage earlier in the game and reach the last 16 for the first time with an emphatic win over a side from the level above.