Leicester Road FC largely controlled the first Hinckley derby of the season, running out 1-3 winners at The Welfare Ground in Ibstock and securing their ninth successive Midland Football League win in the process!

It was a gritty and determined performance and despite going a goal down early on they battled back well to bag all three points – courtesy of an equaliser from Mark Green and a headed brace by Amarvir Sandhu (pictured).

The match began in torrential rain, but LRFC were at their local rivals from the off, with Sandhu heading over on 2 mins when he perhaps should have done better. On 8 mins Matt Langham also volleyed over from a pinpoint Nuno Gomes cross, but on 10 mins AFC grabbed the lead with their first foray into the Road box.

AFC forward Jordan Wilson was bustled over in the area by Road captain Callum Earls, and strike partner Sam Belcher sent Road keeper Will Highland the wrong way from the spot.

The Road continued to press, however, and Nat Kelly was a whisker away with a header on 17 mins, with young AFC keeper George Warren not at all comfortable claiming the many accurate crosses coming his way.

On 23 mins Highland made a fantastic save low down to his left from a rasping Wilson drive and it spurred the Road to better things. Earls curled a lovely shot just wide on 28 mins, but then had to leave the field two mins later with a recurring injury – to be replaced by Green.

The clever striker was quickly into the game and tested Warren a few times before his equaliser on 43 mins gave the AFC keeper no chance – great work by Gomes setting him up 20 yards out and he smashed it into the top corner. 1-1 at half time.

LRFC again began the brighter and on 52 mins Green’s powerful header from a long, looping cross was excellently saved by Warren. From the resultant corner, however, Sandhu’s bullet header as he peeled away from his marker gave Warren no chance and the Road were 1-2 up and in full control.

Road centre back Callum Rudd struck the bar from the edge of the box on the hour with Warren well beaten and on 64 mins Green was again just inches wide with a flicked header from another corner.

Sandhu was also causing the home side problems with his direct, probing runs that drew a run of cynical fouls and an eventual yellow card, while Langham twisted and turned on a sixpence on 75 mins to fire agonisingly wide.

It was all Leicester Road now and on 78 mins Jordan Burrows’ pinpoint free kick saw Sandhu rise highest and power another header in for a 1-3 lead.

With LRFC dominating possession and territory, there was no way back for the home side and Highland was rarely tested in the closing stages. In fact, on 86 mins it should probably have been 1-4 and a Sandhu hat-trick after a huge scramble in the AFC box and three-four desperate blocks – before Sandhu blasted over from six yards out.

Starting X1: Highland, Alcott, Rudd, Earls ©, Kelly, Lyne, Charles, Burrows, Gomes, Sandhu, Langham. Subs: Blewitt (GK), Humphreys, Walters, Green, Whitehouse.