Dominic Smith celebrated receiving his player of the month award by scoring another
important goal, netting the winner against Bromsgrove minutes from full time, after
a crazy last 10 minutes saw four goals scored.
With Sporting kicking down the slope first half the game started even, but Sporting
began to make more chances as the half went on. Chris Conway and Josh McKenzie went
close for Bromsgrove and it looked ominous for AFC when Marco Adaggio had to go off
with an injury in the first half. Sporting did take the lead after 25 minutes when
Nathan Walker fouled Conway just inside the area, and Reece Hewitt converted from the
penalty spot. AFC responded with Luke Richards dragging a longe range effort just wide,
and then Dom Smith headed just over from a corner, but Sporting held their lead going
into the break.
It was a different story second half when Hinckley brought on pacey wide men Justin Nisbett
and Tyrone Clarke-O'Connell, to give them an advantage down the slope, an advantage they took
with aplomb. For long periods Hinckley attacked and had Bromsgrove penned in their last third,
but Sporting were resolute and managed to repel every chance, until the final 10 minutes
of the game. JJ Melligan, who had dictated a lot of the second half play for AFC, again
was the instigator winning the ball at the back of midfield and then releasing Nisbett
down the wing. Nisbett ran towards the Sporting area and crossed low to Clarke-O'Connell
who swept the ball under Jake Bedford from 10 yards. Moments later and Atletico were ahead,
Isaac Cooper launched one of his trademark long throw's into the area, causing panic and
as no Sporting defender took responsibility for clearing, the ball reached Bedford who
was wrong footed and it ricocheted off the Bromsgrove keeper and into the back of the net.
This did momentarily rouse Sporting from their second half slumber and responded 5 minutes
later with a free kick from Sean Brain being headed over Sam Arnold by Lewis Clarke, levelling
the scores. With Sporting looking like rescuing a point, almost immediately AFC regained
the lead, from a Ross Clarke free kick, again the Sporting back line were static and Dom
Smith followed the ball in, to blast it into goal from 5 yards out with Bedford stranded
on his line. Hinckley this time managed to hold on to the lead for the remaining injury time
and stretched their unbeaten run to 24 games, consolidating their second place in the league.
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Bromsgrove Sporting match details
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