Cup (A)
Win 3-2
(H/T 2-0)
Moulton progressed to the semi finals of the United Counties KO Cup with a 3-2 win over Hinkley on Friday Night.

The Magpies started on top and took the lead after only 7 minutes, Divin Emmanuel in the home goal could only parry a long-range effort from Lewis Isom out to Mo Khan and he crossed into the 6-yard box for TERRY FALCINI to apply the finishing touch. The visitors continued to dominate and a cross-field ball from Falcini found Adam Dicks, but he dragged his shot on the run narrowly wide. Little was seen of Hinkley as an attacking force and their goal was living a charmed life particularly when Luke Stevens headed an Isom corner back across goal and Falcini and Dan White both had goal bound shots blocked. Moulton continued to dominate and should have increased their lead on 40 minutes, the referee played a good advantage when Ed Odley was fouled and when the ball eventually reached Isom he cut inside but his shot cannoned down off the crossbar, and then within 2 minutes the Magpies hit the woodwork again this time Khan beat the on rushing keeper Emmanuel to the ball but his chip shot rolled agonisingly on to the base of the post and was cleared. Eventually the pressure did tell right on 45 minutes when FALCINI cut in from the left and drilled a shot inside the far post, and there was still time for another chance before the break, when another Isom corner again found Stevens at the far post, but he couldn’t get a telling touch.

HALF TIME HINKLEY 0 MOULTON 2

The home side registered their first shot in anger at the start of the second half and began to get on top although the Magpies still carried a threat at the other end and Falcini was narrowly wide after being set up by Odley and Damian Osoimoejikhian, and not long after Dicks burst into the box but Emmanuel grabbed his shot at the second attempt. With 20 minutes of the half gone the home side reduced the deficit, Chandler Pegg charged down a clearance from Francis Boateng before striding on to beat Adam North from an acute angle. 5 minutes later Moulton were denied a third goal by some brilliant keeping by Emmanuel, Osoimoejikhian went on a mazy run beating 3 players before unleashing a left foot shot destined for the bottom corner, but the home keeper got the faintest of touches and diverted it wide of the goal. The Magpies looked to have wrapped up the tie with 7 minutes left, Falcini who had been a thorn in the Hinkley defence all night cut in from the left and his fierce shot come cross was diverted into his own net by Zach Tellyn. Hinkley did grab a goal back in the first minute of stoppage time through Louis Baker but anything other than an away win would have been an injustice as Moulton created enough chances to be out of sight by half time.

The Semi Final draw was made straight after the game and we face a trip to Kimberley Miners Welfare, with the date to be arranged.

FINAL SCORE HINKLEY 2 MOULTON 3

TEAM North, Dicks, Osoimoejikhian, Odley, Stevens, Boateng, Falcini, (Amaning 87), Hall, Khan (Ansu 80), White, Isom

Subs unused Gbejuade, Goodacre, Mensah