Newbies Hinckley give Eynesbury painful start to the new season
NEWLY PROMOTED VISITORS TAKE HOME 3-1 WIN FROM TRIP TO CAMBRIDGESHIRE
RYAN Lewis scored on his Eynesbury Rovers debut – but it was not enough to prevent newly promoted visitors Hinckley from gaining a 3-1 win on the opening day of the UCL Premier Division South season.
Debuts were also given to centre half Joshua Howard-Dobson and striker Nathan Mullings, while Axel Owusu and Tony Williams made their debuts as substitutes.
The first shot of the game came three minutes in as a Luke Jones strike for the visitors was hit straight at Reece Lewis in the Eynesbury goal.
The hosts’ own first chance came from Mullings, but his shot was blocked after good work by Max Kimpton and Marcel Rzeszutek down the right flank.
Teenage goalkeeper Divin Emmanuel was twice called into action and he denied Ryan Lewis and Nathan Mullings, tipping both of their efforts over the bar, before Hinckley finally took a 37th minute lead.
A long run by Bryan Kohyrelon went unchecked and he slid the ball to his left for Adam Barber to guide a low shot into the corner of the goal.
Just before the break Zach Tellyn won the ball off Michael King, but his effort was saved by Lewis.
Six minutes into the second half Kohyrelon could have increased the visitors’ lead but was denied by Lewis, who conceded a corner.
Four minutes later Rovers drew level when Ryan Lewis guided home a low right-wing cross from eight yards out.
Eynesbury enjoyed their best spell of the game after scoring the equaliser, but nevertheless only troubled the goalkeeper once, as he saved a Lewis shot inside the penalty area.
At the other end Reece Lewis kept out a shot from Elliot Edwards, having got enough on the ball to slow it down before backtracking to scoop it clear and prevent it from going over the goal line.
However, in the 71st minute Hinckley regained the lead with a Josh Beeson cross from the right which went in off the far post.
Nine minutes later, Preston Bitemo drilled home a 20-yard shot to make it 3-1 and secure the points for Hinckley.