HINCKLEY UNITED 1-2 HYDE UNITED

Attendance: 381

By ANDY GIBBS at THE GREENE KING STADIUM

SO MUCH of the promise and enthusiasm built up by an impressive opening week of the season was undone as Hinckley slumped to a disappointing defeat at the hands of Hyde. Despite being gifted an early goal, The Knitters simply never got going, they looked ponderous at the back against the pace of Hyde’s front two – Nathan Arnold especially was a constant threat – whilst they were unable to string a succession of passes together to mount any sustained pressure on the visiting goal.

The Knitters couldn’t have wished for a better start. Eight minutes had been played when a poor defensive header found Matt WEST and he could hardly believe his luck as he took the ball around the keeper and rolled the ball into the empty net to open his United account. That should have been the springboard to greater things for Hinckley, but the game just meandered in the first half. West had a couple of half chances, heading a James Mace cross wide when he might have left it for Richard Lavery who was coming in behind him before he headed an Andy Hall cross onto the roof of the net.

Hyde always looked quick and dangerous up front and came close to equalising towards the end of the first half when David McNiven’s powerful low shot was well turned aside by Chris MacKenzie. The second half brought an instant, albeit brief, improvement as Hinckley came close to increasing their lead. Former Knitter Michael Jones made two superb saves to deny Adam Webster, the first a stunning tip over at point blank range to keep out a sweetly struck volley and the value of those saves was proven almost immediately.

The impressive Arnold slipped a pass to DOUGLAS-PRINGLE on the edge of the area and the newly introduced sub got the wrong side of his man and slotted the ball beyond the advancing MacKenzie. That goal gave the visitors a real boost as they got on top of the game and sensed a winner. Arnold was denied by MacKenzie at his near post before the home keeper produced a stunning save to prevent Robbie Smith’s shot creeping in before Douglas-Pringle twisted and turned to work himself an opportunity in the area before undoing his clever trickery with a wild finish.

The visitors won it with seven minutes remaining. A superb solo run from deep in his own half from Arnold ended when he squared a pass to DOUGLAS-PRINGLE on the edge of the are and he drilled home the winner. There was no way back for Hinckley, they had one late chance when Chukki Eribenne shot wide late on, but they hadn’t done enough to earn any reward.

HINCKLEY UNITED: MacKenzie, Mace, Giddings, Lavery, Collins, Franklin, Hall (Cartwright, 45), Gooding, Wesbter, West (Eribenne, 60), Dillon (Hamilton, 75). Subs not used: Taylor, Lister