Brady Middleton spear-headed Hinckley into the quarter-finals of the League Cup as he grabbed a hat-trick in a 6-2 win over Nuneaton Griff on a Baltic night at The Pingles.
Those fans who forsook the fireside were rewarded with some excellent goals in conditions that, though playable, worsened as the temperature dropped.
Hinckley took control of the game with two goals in as many minutes midway through the first half. Lewis Rankin put them in front with a classy strike, placing a cushioned volley inside the post before he helped create a well worked second. His free kick was headed back across goal by Jack Beasley for Middleton to head home.
Middleton grabbed his second with a near post finish after a driving run from Matt Dawson before Matt Hill did well to block a shot from former Hinckley defender Callum Martin.
Following his superb last ditch winner on Saturday, Dawson another yet another to his increasing catalogue of stunning strikes, this time cutting inside from the right before firing home a left footed shot just before the break.
Middleton completed his treble early in the second half, some neat footwork at the end of a move involving Preston Bitemo and Tom Weale before Griff scored a couple themselves.
Nathan McGarrity pulled one back from the penalty spot before a glorious second, a devastating first touch followed by a perfectly executed chip for a wonderful goal.
Fittingly though, Hinckley had the last word as Deshon Carty completed the scoring in the dying moments to complete a job well done.
Nuneaton: Dale O’Donnell, Liam Kennedy (Tom Hall 60), Callum Martin, Tom Reynolds, Morgan Ramsay (Dan Edmunds 53), Jamie Draper, Lucinee Donzo, Harry Taylor (Jacob Dumbleton 55), Nathan McGarrity, David Buckley (Luke Campion 61), Danny Harris (Sam Belcher 55).
Hinckley: Matt Hill, Matt Dawson (Alex Sutton 67), Danny Fraser, Preston Bitemo, Joe Obi, Jack Beasley, Lewis Rankin, Tom Weale, Brady Middleton, Declan Somel, Isa Abraham (Deshon Carty 53). Subs not used: Brandon Bache, Harry Walker-Donovan.
Attendance: 143
