EASTWOOD TOWN 1-0 HINCKLEY UNITED

Attendance: 483

By ANDY GIBBS at CORONATION PARK

HINCKLEY UNITED were Beaton at Coronation Park – referee David Beaton’s staggering decision to award Eastwood a late spot kick determined the result of this game leaving Hinckley angry and frustrated.

A point was the very least they deserved from this encounter, they created the better opportunities throughout and were twice denied by the woodwork but just as the game appeared to be drifting towards a goalless conclusion, Mr Beaton struck.

On a rare foray into United territory, The Badgers strung some neat passes together to make progress into the box, before the move was ended by a perfectly timed challenge from Andy Hall – but to the amusement of the home side, the anger of the visiting contingent and general bemusement to all in the ground, Mr Beaton pointed to the spot and Ian HOLMES converted the penalty.

The result was harsh on Hinckley, made even worse by the nature of that winner. They produced an accomplished display against one of the title favourites, creating some decent opportunities whilst restricting the home side to long range efforts as Eastwood, surprisingly created very little.

With the benefit of the wind behind them in the first half, United threatened early on, home keeper Ross Turner made a superb save to push Adam Webster’s effort onto a post at point blank range, Turner holding Connor Franklin’s deflected shot from the resulting corner. After that, the first half never really flowed, Eastwood offered little whilst United fashioned a couple of half chances, Neil Cartwright’s inswinging cross was inches in front of Webster whilst late in the half, Chukki Eribenne’s header was saved but The Knitters failed to make the most of the numerous set-pieces they had.

Eastwood boss Paul Cox made a change at half-time and two more substitutions soon after in an attempt to inject some life into his side, but still it was the visitors who carried the greater threat. Turner twice denied Eribenne, strong penalty appeals were waved away after Hall was upended in the box, Richard Lavery planted a free header wide at the far post before Eribenne’s dipping volley beat Turner but thundered back off the bar.

United paid for those misses when Beaton’s moment of madness gifted a penalty to the home side and after that decisive moment, Hinckley’s dejected players visibly wilted and they left with nothing from a game they’ll feel they should have won.

HINCKLEY UNITED: MacKenzie, Mace, Giddings, Lavery, Collins, Franklin, Hall, Gooding (Dillon, 87), Webster, Eribenne (West, 87), Cartwright. Subs not used: Storer, Taylor, Lister.