Abbo on Stafford Victory

Hinckley AFC Manager Carl Abbott said his side made ‘heavy weather’ of their 3-2 victory at Stafford Town.

An out of sorts AFC were a goal down at the interval, but dominated the second half as goals from Marco Adaggio, JJ Melligan and Ryan Seal gave AFC all three points.

And the former Wolves Casuals boss felt his side’s slow tempo was on of the main issues in the first half, but that they responded well after half time. He said: ‘We made heavy weather of it.

‘I thought we started really well in the first five or ten minutes and looked like we were going to have a good day at the office.

‘The change of shape that we’ve made in the last few weeks, going 4-4-2, looked like it was going to do the things we wanted it to do with Greg (Pearson) and Marco (Adaggio) willingly running the channels.

‘They were getting the ball sent in behind quite early and it looked like we were going to play quite a high pressure game in their final third, which is what we’d asked the guys to do.

‘But all of a sudden we dropped into a pedestrian tempo of play and struggled to get the ball up to Greg and Marco, so before you know it they’re not running the channels because it becomes a thankless task when the ball’s not coming.

‘We toiled, gave cheap goals away – which has been a little hallmark lately, and for more of the season than I’d like – and we’ve ended up in a battle in a game where we came here today and didn’t think that was going to happen. But that’s where we are at the moment.

‘We had a discussion at half time, and asked the guys to show us real heart and desire, and win the game through sheer will and determination.

‘We tweaked the shape to ensure we had enough bodies around the box, and to reinforce the fact that we wanted to play a pressure game high up the pitch: in their half and in their box.

‘The guys did just that and we reaped the benefits. In the end we probably should have been comfortable winners.’