Hinckley LRFC  v  Tamworth

Sat 1 Jul - 15:00 Friendly

Hinckley LRFC

0-0

Tamworth

Match Report

After recovering from the Championship celebration and regrouping through June, Andy Peaks Lambs squad returned to action in their first pre-season friendly with a trip to take on Hinckley Leicester Road of the Northern Premier League Division One Midlands on their own turf, a repeat of the opening pre-season game of 2022-23 which The Lambs won 4-0 with goals from AJ George, Eoin McKeown and two from Alex Bradley.

As for most clubs during the close season turnaround there were a good number of retained players back in a Lambs shirt and a number of new faces joining or hoping to join Andy Peaks’ squad ahead of the National League North kick off in August and so the team sheet had a familiar feel, undoubtedly with some expected and unexpected twists and surprises along the way.

The home side got the game underway with The Lambs attaching the large stand behind the goal in the first half.
A foul on Finn on 3 failed to bring any reward and a handball against Curley set up the home side on the left wing on 6 which they forced out for a corner and glanced the header wide.
A low strike from Williams on the left whistle past the far right post on 9 while at the other end Lyne’s good run and resulting cross evaded everyone.
More good work from Williams forced a corner on the left on 13 but nothing came of the flagkick of the ensuing play. And when Finn found himself in space in the left of the area on 16 he blazed his shot high into the terracing and Hinckley’s Williams did similarly for the home side in the next move too.
Highland was called into action on 21 when Finn squared the ball to the far post and 7 fired on target, but was denied by a one handed stop from the home keeper and Williams made headway into space and received the ball in the box on 24, but failed to find the target.
A foul on 7 set up 8 with the freekick on the right of the box on 25 but Creaney was beaten to the header by the LR defender.
Tamworth kept the ball in the final third for the most part around the half hour mark and the minutes thereafter without testing Highland, before Singh was called into action of the first time, blocking the shot of LR’s Williams and putting it behind for a corner.
A teasing cross from The Lamb’s Williams was not met by the finish it deserved as the first half minutes ticked away and the first half ended goalless.

HT 0-0

Despite the occasional sunshine a strong breeze Both sides made a number of changes to the sides that started the second period, and it was difficult to fully keep up to date with the changes to the home side, The Lambs restarted proceedings but it was the home side who exerted all the pressure in the opening exchanges.
On the hour though, 7, who played against Tamworth in the Southern League last season, floated a freekick onto the head of Cullinane-Liburd but his flick over the keeper dropped over the bar too.
Samuels fired diagonally across and out past the far post on 63 and with all the expected changes chances were at a premium.
A well taken run and cross from Parker on 77 was headed strongly away and at the other end on 80 a LR corner flashed out past the far post somehow untouched.
And on 87 The Lambs trialist keeper made sure that the LR striker was denied a goal with a brave full body stop of his goalbound strike from close range.
Deacon nearly capitalised on a poor back pass to score on 89 but was unable to get to the loose ball before the covering defender beat him to it in the final action of The Lambs first run out.

Hinckley LR (as reported by HLR twitter)
Highland, Gore, Acton, Humphreys, Earls, Alcott, Lyne, Burrows, Nuttall, Samuels, Williams
HT changes:
Off: Highland, Earls, Gore, Alcott, Nuttall, Burrows, Williams
On: Roggero, Gill, Mansfield, Bradshaw, Read, Reeve, Daire
70 changes:
Off: Lyne, Acton, Samuels
On: Alcott, Earls, Burrows

Tamworth:
1^st half: Singh, Curley, Cockerill-Mollett, Griffin, Dolman, Willets (c.), Trailist (7), Trailist (8), Creaney, Finn, Williams
2^nd half: GK (trialist), Curley, Cockerill-Mollett (Hardy 68), Cullinane-Liburd, Gascoigne, Pearsall, Trialist (7) (Trialist (8) 68), Meikle, Finn (Griffin 88), Deacon, Parker

Referee: Minsesh Gupta
Assistant Referee: Adam Brierly-Lewis
Assistant Referee: Aidan Murphy