FA Cup Preliminary Round - Saturday 29th August 2015 - 3:00 p.m. kick-off
Bromsgrove Sporting (1) 2 Hinckley AFC (4) 6
Bromsgrove Sporting's dreams of a mouth-watering FA Cup tie against Redditch United were emphatically crushed on Saturday afternoon, as a rampant Hinckley ran out 6-2 winners against a listless home side.
The visitors made their presence felt immediately and it only took them seven minutes to take the lead. Ex-Sporting star Sean Williams came back to haunt his former team, as his low cross found Luke Richards who coolly slotted the ball into the bottom corner.
Despite this early sucker punch, Sporting were fairly quick to respond. On the quarter hour mark, a cross from promising new signing Dale Edwards found the head of Sam Wills, who managed to guide the ball over the Hinckley defence and into the goal. Things almost got even better for Bromsgrove when Edwards finished off a scything run with a powerful drive from range. However, Hinckley stopper Sam Arnold was equal to it, palming the ball wide.
Unfortunately for Sporting, things went rapidly downhill from there. The nineteenth minute saw centre back Simon Fitter receive a contentious red card for a challenge on Javia Roberts. There was a collective gasp as referee Mr Readett gave Fitter his marching orders, for a tackle that didn't appear to warrant such a severe punishment.
The resultant free kick was dispatched with aplomb by Nathan Walker. His pinpoint effort from just outside the area flew into the top corner, leaving Sporting stopper Brendon Bunn with no chance.
Two minutes later, Hinckley's lead was doubled. The away side flooded the box and a beleaguered Bromsgrove just couldn't deal with the pressure. It could have been any one of four players who scored but in the end, it was Jean Kalenda who inflicted further misery onto Sporting; his shot finding the back of the net.
Sporting almost made their way back into the game on the 39th minute, when Luke Dugmore's fierce shot was tipped onto the crossbar by Arnold. Instead, it was to be Hinckley who scored just before the half time whistle. Marco Adaggio found himself with the freedom of Worcestershire as he roamed through the defence, eventually slotting home and effectively putting the tie to bed.
The second half didn't bring about any change in fortunes whatsoever for Bromsgrove. Luke Richards added a second to his tally ten minutes in; his strike from inside the box flew past a stranded Bunn and into the goal.
A Josh McKenzie header on the 80th minute ensured a consolation goal for Sporting but Hinckley extended their lead back to four goals in the fourth minute of added time. Adaggio clinched his second with a simple tap-in into an empty net after the ball rebounded off the post.
The early red card did have an impact on the game but to say it affected the outcome would not pay justice to Hinckley's dominance. They were on a different level to a Sporting side that didn't seem to be at the races.
Sporting: Brendon Bunn, Aaron Roberts, Brendan Kelly, Simon Fitter, Craig Jones, Jamie McKeon (Scott Smith (26 mins), Luke Dugmore (Jon Myrie 71 mins), Reece Hewitt (Joe Adams 60 mins), Josh McKenzie, Sam Wills, Dale Edwards.
Unused substitutes: Shaun Edwards, Ollie Gibson, John Pykett, Sean Brain.
Goals: Sam Wills (16 mins), Josh McKenzie (78 mins).
Yellows: Reece Hewitt (31 mins), Brendan Kelly (70 mins), Joe Adams (81 mins), Sam Wills (88 mins)
Red: Simon Fitter (19 mins)
Hinckley: Sam Arnold, Mitchell Tomlinson, Alex Morris, Dominic Smith, Jean Kalenda, Neil McKenzie (Darious Darkin 60 mins), Javia Roberts (Rico Taylor 60 mins), Nathan Walker, Sean Williams (Deqwon Ebanks 71 mins), Marco Adaggio, Luke Richards.
Unused substitutes: Oliver Basham, Jack Hartopp, Jamie Newton, Justin Nisbett.
Goals: Luke Richards (7, 52 mins), Nathan Walker (21 mins), Jean Kalenda (23 mins), Marco Adaggio (44, 90+2 mins).
Yellows: Nathan Walker (28 mins), Jean Kalenda (66 mins), Rico Taylor (70 mins).
Referee: Mr C Readett (Halesowen).
Assistants: Mr C Thompson (Bromsgrove), Mr A Buchanan (Bromsgrove)
Crowd: 386
Weather; Warm, bright.
Reporter: Max Banner.
Bromsgrove Sporting 2-6 Hinckley AFC
A memorable day for Hinckley AFC saw Carl Abbott's side put six past league rivals Bromsgrove Sporting in the FA Cup Preliminary Round.
AFC booked themselves a place in the qualifying rounds of the world's most famous club cup competition with a performance that saw them dominate their hosts from start to finish, even before The Rouslers' Simon Fitter was controversially sent off.
The score was 1-1 at that stage, but once Nathan Walker scored the resulting free kick the result was never in doubt as braces from Luke Richards and Marco Adaggio helped AFC on their way to a date with Redditch United on Saturday 12th September.
Abbott made just one change to the Hinckley side that beat Lichfield City in the week, with Sam Arnold taking his place in goal ahead of Jack Hartopp.
AFC kicked up the slope at The Victoria Ground in the first half, and took an early lead after just seven minutes. After receiving the ball from a throw in, Sean Williams crossed low to the edge of the box, from where Richards found the bottom corner.
The lead lasted just nine minutes though, and the hosts equalised when Sam Wills headed a floated cross beyond Arnold.
Despite the equaliser, Hinckley had started the game the brighter of the two sides, and their dominance was only going to increase after the eighteenth minute. Javia Roberts put himself between Fitter and the ball, and the Bromsgrove centre back was shown red after taking both man and ball.
Bromsgrove's frustrations were heightened from the resulting free kick, which Walker curled into the top corner from 25 yards, giving Brendon Bunn no chance.
Just a minute later the Hinckley following, slightly depleted after the supporters coach broke down en route to the ground, were celebrating again as Jean Kalenda found the net with an emphatic strike after a number of ricochets in the box.
As the game approached half time, Bromsgrove started to re-group, and Arnold was forced into a fine stop to claw over Luke Dugmore's effort.
But the home side were hit with a sucker punch a minute before the interval, when Walker's defence splitting pass found Adaggio, who took one touch to compose himself and slotted home his 30th goal for the club.
The second half performance was a very professional one from Hinckley, and shortly after Adaggio's near post effort was well saved, Richards made it 5-1 by rounding the keeper after Roberts won back possession.
Dale Edwards almost pulled one back for Bromsgrove, but his effort was mopped up by the recovering Hinckley defence.
With twelve minutes to go, Bromsgrove scored nothing more than a consolation as Josh McKenzie headed home at the far post after beating Mitchell Tomlinson.
Then, substitute Deqwon Ebanks nearly scored a sixth but saw his shot cannon off the underside of the bar.
The sixth goal did arrive in stoppage time. Richards' shot smashed against the post after a mazy run, and Adaggio converted the rebound from close range to round off a day that the healthy away following will remember for years to come.
Bromsgrove: Brendon Bunn, Aaron Roberts, Brendan Kelly, Simon Fitter, Craig Jones, Luke Dugmore (Jon Myrie 69), Dale Edwards, James McKeon (Scott Smith 22), Josh McKenzie, Sam Wills, Reece Hewitt (Joe Adams 59).
Goals: Sam Wills (16), Josh McKenzie (78).
Hinckley: Sam Arnold, Mitchell Tomlinson, Alex Morris, Dom Smith, Jean Kalenda, Neil MacKenzie (Darious Darkin 60), Javia Roberts (Rico Taylor 60), Nathan Walker, Sean Williams (Deqwon Ebanks 72), Marco Adaggio, Luke Richards. Subs not used: Jack Hartopp, Oli Basham, Jamie Newton, Justin Nisbett.
Goals: Luke Richards (7, 53), Nathan Walker (19), Jean Kalenda (20), Marco Adaggio (44, 90+2).
Attendance: 386
