Hinckley Athletic vs Gresley Rovers
Acklam chimes in – Andy Parker – Burton Mail
Gresley Rovers missed out on a seventh straight league victory at Middlefield Lane yesterday after failing to convert almost total dominance into goals.
As it was, Paul Acklam’s 20th goal of the season – superbly set up by strike partner Carl Rathbone – ended up a face-saver.
Rovers bombarded the Robins with pressure from the off but fell behind to a finely crafted and well struck breakaway goal after half an hour.
But, both before and after Rob Potter’s goal for the home side, Rovers had more than enough chances to have taken another significant step towards capturing a second West Midlands League title.
Rathbone set the tone for the day by firing wildly wide from the edge of the box in the seventh minute.
Acklam headed a Richard Wardle cross wide, Martin Dick saw a cross bounce to safety off the bar and – from the best move of the half – Acklam was unable to force the ball home from close range after Richard Denby threaded a superb through ball for Brain Beresford to provide an equally telling cross.
With half an hour gone Hinckley – whose passing had been of insufficient quality to test Rovers’ rearguard – clicked into gear.
Former Moatman Jeavon Payne was the architect, suddenly exposing Gresley with an angled pass to the left that set Potter free, a pace ahead of two flailing defenders, to strike the ball across Bob Aston’s dive and in off the far post.
Gresley continued to hog possession but it was not until the 60th minute that Rathbone and Acklam provided the breakthrough, Rathbone opening up the right side of Hinckley’s penalty box with a skilful run and Acklam firing his cross through a crowded area and past Mick Goodman.
Acklam could have wrapped it up for Gresley after more good work by Denby and Rathbone but headed just wide.
After that things turned a little sour for Gresley with Denby picking up his fourth caution for dissent of the season and Jason Minton following him into the book in the final minute.
Hinckley Athletic (1) 1
Gresley Rovers (0) 1
Scorers: Potter 30 (Hinckley Athletic); Acklam 60 (Gresley Rovers).
Hinckley Athletic: Goodman. Markham, Timms, Montgomery, Stanborough, Orton (Shackleton 72), Harriman, Taylor (Dawson 79), Bateman, Payne, Potter.
Gresley Rovers: Aston, Barry, Dick, Denby, Evans (Land 70), Minton, Wardle, Rathbone, Acklam, Beresford, Lovell. Sub not used: Weston.
Gresley man-of-the-match: Richard Denby.
Referee: J Carrington (Shepshed).
Attendance: 333
