Winning Row suffer Hicks blow

WALTON Casuals were beaten by Hartley Wintney and also lost skipper Joe Hicks, who broke his leg in an early challenge.

Hicks was injured during the build-up to the visitors’ opening goal, which arrived on five minutes when Mitchell Parker fired a low left-footed shot into the bottom corner past Casuals keeper Denzel Gerrar.

Hicks was stretchered off after the goal but his teammates were inspired to take some control of the match and nearly equalised in the 21st minute, Ryheem Sheckleford’s pinpoint accurate through ball setting up James Ewington, whose shot was palmed behind by the visitors keeper Samuel Mason.

Later, Ewington came closer still when he hit the post after Mason got the slightest of touches to the striker’s effort.

Mason denied Ewington again on 64 minutes and this proved to be the game’s pivotal moment as Wintney doubled their advantage within a minute, Galhin Abubalkar drilling his shot through Gerrar at the keeper’s near post.

Casuals grabbed a lifeline three minutes later when Dan Bennett netted a superb cross from the left by Hicks’ replacement Kyron Farrell but they were unable to fashion an equaliser. STAR MAN: Samuel Mason (Walton) ENTERTAINMENT: ★★★★★