Three late goals end AFC hopes

THREE goals in the final ten minutes condemned Hinckley AFC to a 3-0 defeat as Atherstone Town returned to the top of the table after their late show at Sheepy Road, writes Liam Gibbs.

In atrocious conditions, both sides tried their utmost to play in the pouring rain and howling wind but the sides were still locked level with ten minutes to play.

But Jake Woolley’s brace put the Adders in control, before Alex Naughton’s last minute strike secured the home side’s win.

It was a scoreline that was harsh on Hinckley, who defended well for large spells despite the home side having the better of the second half - but it’s now three straight defeats for John Ramshaw’s men.

Atherstone started brightly and Jonathan Gould was at the heart of most of their early attacks, setting up Ryan Quinn to have one blocked and then feeding Joe Obi to pull back to Woolley, from whom George Warren pulled off a wonderful point blank save.

But after the first quarter of an hour, Hinckley started to gain more of a foothold in the game and had their first effort after dozy goalkeeping saw James Beeson pick up a backpass inside the six yard box.

With several Atherstone players on the line, the resulting indirect free kick on the six yard line saw Sam Belcher set up Jordan Wilson - whose fierce strike was deflected wide.

The home side still had the better of the game at this stage, and Obi glanced a header over, before Hinckley finished the half the stronger.

Just before the half hour, Nkosi Mzungwana picked out Wilson, who unleashed a drive which Beeson tipped over at full stretch.

The last play of the half saw Wilson head Louis Hamilton’s corner onto the underside of the bar as Atherstone hacked clear and the sides went into half time level.

Kicking down the slope after half time, Atherstone had the better of the play after the break and Hinckley’s attacks were less frequent than in the first period.

They came close seven minutes after the break when Obi was denied by Warren’s smart save, Jason Lee blocked Woolley’s follow-up and Quinn blazed the third effort over.

Warren then denied Gould, before Hinckley’s first effort of the second half came through substitute David Jones, who flicked wide from Belcher’s near post cross.

Atherstone quickly resumed their control on possession, but the hosts rarely called Warren into action for the next phase of the game as Hinckley defended well and made it to the 80th minute still level, growing in belief that they would take something from the game.

But that all changed with ten minutes left.

A high hanging ball into the box got caught on the wind, and forced Lee into uncharacteristically missing his header. Woolley anticipated well, and steered the loose ball beyond Warren to break the deadlock.

With the complexion of the game having shifted, Hinckley now threw men forward in search of an equaliser and came close just two minutes later when Belcher’s corner was met by Callum Willimont, but Atherstone cleared off the line.

The hosts broke, and worked it for Woolley to slam home a second in four minutes and kill Hinckley off.

And they added a third with the final attack of the game when Naughton was sent through on goal, and with Hinckley waiting for an offside flag that never came, the substitute never looked like missing as he found the back of the net to wrap up the win.