AFC TELFORD UNITED 2-2 HINCKLEY UNITED

Attendance: 1665

By ANDY GIBBS at THE NEW BUCKS HEAD

 A PULSATING game ended with a point apiece at the New Bucks’ Head and justifiably so. Both sides enjoyed 45 minutes of domination – The Knitters in the first as they went two goals up at the break, but the home side fought back strongly and Hinckley were left hanging on a little as the home side piled on the pressure after the break.

Dean Thomas made two changes from the side that badly under-performed against Hyde on Saturday and got the response he was looking for. His side kept possession well on the excellent playing surface and went in front after seven minutes. Andy Hall’s corner from the left was met by Richard Lavery’s header and though Lee Vaughan cleared off the line, Connor Franklin forced the ball home in the ensuing scramble..

That goal gave the visitors a boost as they got on top of the match and another Hall corner found Lee Collins who could only head straight at Ryan Young. Young then made a fine save, turning aside Neil Cartwright’s deflected 30 yard shot at the foot of a post and Lavery delivered a ball from the left that Webster glanced wide.

 Little was seen of the home side other than Steve Torpey’s free kick that flashed across the goalmouth and it was no surprise when Hinckley doubled their lead ten minutes from half-time. They had a bit of luck as Cartwright again tried his luck from long range and the ball took a big deflection to spin beyond Young into the bottom corner of his net.

The home side left the field at half-time to a chorus of boos from their own crowd and home manager Rob Smith gambled at half-time, making a double change and it paid off as the home side wrestled control from their visitors. They got themselves back in the game within six minutes, Chris MacKenzie couldn’t claim a Torpey cross through a forest of players and Vaughan stabbed home an untidy goal from close range.

The goal lifted the home team and their supporters who sensed a comeback as Telford dominated possession. Andy Brown headed wide when well placed and Danny Carey-Bertram seemed certain to score as he raced into the area with only MacKenzie to beat, but he dragged his shot wide.

The seemingly inevitable equalizer arrived midway through the half, Torpey jinked into the area where he was tripped by Stuart Giddings and former Knitter Brown converted the spot kick.

One sensed the momentum swinging Telford’s way and they appeared to be the likelier winners but although Hinckley visibly tired, they demonstrated the character that was lacking against Hyde, and earned their little bit of good fortune when Carey-Bertram wriggled clear of Lee Collins, who all but wrestled him to the ground and was lucky to escape without a card as the Telford striker ran on but was forced wide and the chance was gone.

There was still more drama to come as home midfielder Carl Rodgers was red carded with five minutes remaining, referee Andy Garratt indicating he had stamped on Richard Lavery and the last chance fell to Hinckley – their only real opportunity of the half – when Andy Gooding volleyed narrowly wide from the edge of the box.

AFC TELFORD UNITED: Young, Vaughan, Jelleyman, Cowan, Turner (Trainer 16), Blakeman (Edwards 46), Adams, Rogers, Nolan (Carey-Bertram 46), Brown, Torpey. Subs not used: Vermiglio, Jagielka.

HINCKLEY UNITED: MacKenzie, Mace, Giddings, Lavery, Collins, Franklin, Hall, Gooding, Webster (Taylor, 89), Eribenne, Cartwright. Subs not used: West, Dillon, Hamilton,  Lister

Match highlights