Hinckley AFC moved into the top six of Division One with a 3-1 win over Ingles that completed a hectic schedule of four victories in nine days.
It was a tenth straight victory at home and means they maintain their perfect record at Kirkby Road this season.
It was a comfortable win in the end, but it didn’t look that way in the early stages. Ingles worked tirelessly to prevent AFC getting their passing game together in the opening half hour but once Chandler Pegg opened the scoring, there was no looking back for Joe Conneely’s men.
The opening exchanges were scrappy, but though chances were scarce each side spurned a golden opportunity to take the lead. Reece Jacobs stabbed an effort wide from close range before play switched to the other end as Benn Minshull’s pin point cross picked out Kyle Fowkes but he headed over when well placed.
The dynamic of the game changed on the half hour mark. Jack Edwards was fouled in the box by Dillon Rawson and Pegg continued his prolific form by sending Joe Bickerstaffe the wrong way from the spot.
Ten minutes before the break Jacobs doubled the lead with an excellent goal. He received Matt Dawson’s pass through the inside right channel, beat his man as he cut inside before drilling a left-footed shot inside the far post.
It was all Hinckley now, they hit the post and bar early in the second half before adding a third on the hour. Edwards dinked in a wonderful cross from the right and Ben Birch rose highest to head home his first goal for the club.
The points secured, AFC made a number of changes but maintained control of the game, visiting keeper Bickerstaffe denied both Lewis Padmore and Lewis Rankin.
The visitors grabbed one back deep into time added on through Luis Corcoran but it was only a consolation as Hinckley jump five places in the table.
Hinckley: Brandon Bache, Matt Dawson, Fortune Sibanda (Adam Barber 60), Ben Whitehead, Luke Wilson (Ryan Murphy 66) [Lewis Collins 85], Ben Birch, Harry Walker-Donovan, Reece Jacobs (Lewis Padmore 60), Chandler Pegg (Ben Newport 73), Lewis Rankin, Jack Edwards.
Goals: Chandler Pegg (28), Reece Jacobs (40), Ben Birch (62)
Ingles: Joe Bickerstaffe, Harry Baguley (Jacob Brown 70), Dillon Rawson, Josh Warren (Rhys Scargill 45), Eli Christie, George Wesley, Jack Allen (Harrison Griffiths 55), Jamie Light, Kyle Fowkes (Luis Corcoran 90), Benn Minshull (Jamie Felstead 40), Cam Smith
Goal: Luis Corcoran (90)
Attendance: 174
