Hinckley AFC began their Easter double header with a comprehensive 5-0 win over Dunkirk to maintain second place in the table.
They now know that victory in part two against Kirby Muxloe on Monday will secure that runners-up spot and home advantage in the play-offs.
It was one way traffic for most of the game and but for the heroics of Jake Want in the visiting goal, the scoreline would have been even more emphatic.
AFC were quickly into their stride the warm spring sunshine, and Want made two early blocks with his legs before tipping aside Jack Edwards’ well struck effort.
That was all before the inevitable goal came on the quarter hour mark. It was a bizarre incident as Charlie Evans went clear of the home defence, the assistant raised a flag but referee Stuart Wade shouted for play to continue as he’d seen the ball was played by a Dunkirk defender and Evans kept his composure to finish.
Within a couple of minutes, the lead was doubled and it was all down to Ryan Harkin. He began the move by shielding the ball on half way, beating a couple of defenders before laying the ball off and taking a return pass to bear down on goal and beat Want with a clinical finish.
Hinckley sealed the points with a quick fire burst of three goals early in the second half. Evans thought he’d grabbed a second when his looping header came back off the far post, but a moment later he did score at the second attempt after his initial effort was blocked.
Shortly after, Evans grabbed his hat trick with another predatory finish from close range.
And the cheers had barely died down when Harrison Sawyer curled home a shot from just inside the area to make it five.
That completed the scoring, but it wasn’t for lack of opportunities as Hinckley continued to dominate. On another day, Lewis Rankin would have got on the scoresheet but he saw a couple of efforts flash narrowly wide and Want made a number of saves to keep the scoreline down.
All in all, it was a job well done by Courtney Belford’s men, the only down sides were injuries that forced Edwards and Jeremie Agholor out of the action with important games on the horizon.
Hinckley: Matt Hill, Drew Kear, Ben Vallance, Jack Edwards (Tyson Knight 20), Ben Whitehead, Liam Cairns (Jeremie Agholor 66), Harrison Sawyer, Tom Weale, Ryan Harkin, Lewis Rankin, Charlie Evans (Isa Abraham 66). Subs not used: Luke Wilson, Ben Newport.
Goals: Charlie Evans (16, 55, 59), Ryan Harkin (18), Harry Sawyer (60)
Dunkirk: Jake Want, Ewan Head, Ben Rafferty (Sam Harbottle 58), Kieran Diver (Joel Howes 20), Lewis Wilcox, William Gillies, Jack Oldham, Rueben Nwadike, Aaron Large, Max Taylor, Christian Hatley (Jacob Taylor 65).
Attendance: 193
