Loughborough Dynamo 2 - Hinckley United 1

LOUGHBOROUGH Dynamo iced the tastiest cake they’ve ever feasted on as they claimed a second Westerby County Cup in three years against Hinckley United. On his two hundredth appearance for the club, captain Karl Noble lifted Dynamo's second trophy of the

Dynamo weren’t at their fluid best and both sides struggled with their passing game in a largely uneventful first half. Loughborough had the better of it with most of their first half threat coming through Shawn Richards working with Jamie Clarke who came closest with a first time volley that flew just past the post. Hinckley’s first chance came on thirty three minutes but after doing brilliantly to beat two defenders Omar Bogle’s shot was palmed away by Laurie Pearson. Dynamo’s Richards had two further efforts blocked before he gave Loughborough a deserved lead on forty minutes. Hinckley made a real hash of a corner, their keeper Danny Haystead dropping the ball at the feet of a surprised Richards who bundled home.

Finally after the break United got going, largely due to the introduction of Tommy Byrne whose brilliant display in Quorn’s 5-4 victory in the same fixture last year largely earned him the move to United. He was a constant threat down the left flank and did everything but score. United suddenly were able to breach the off-side trap at will but wasted numerous one-on-ones, Byrne guilty of wasting three of them and when he finally did beat the keeper the ball pinged off the post. To compound his frustration he was booked for diving. But Hinckley were gifted a way back into the match. Dynamo centre back Danny Gibbons inexplicably passed the ball straight to Craig Farrell on the edge of the area who picked his spot for 1-1. After Clarke headed a corner wide and volleyed Gibbons’s knock down over Farrell went closer to adding a second for Hinckley after a defensive mix-up but he diverted a long ball just wide. With two minutes to go, Hinckley’s attempt to play offside at a free kick backfired as Gibbons was left all alone in the box but he couldn’t connect properly with his diving header.

But United should have won it in added time as they carved out four glorious chances. Callum Flanagan’s own unmarked diving header at the back post bounced up and over the bar, Byrne put another one-on-one wide, Lloyd Kerry’s shot in the area was well saved and in the last moment Sam Belcher failed to hit the target with a free header.

The first half of extra-time was a non-event bar man-of-the-match Pearson denying Newton in yet another one-on-one. Meanwhile Scott Clamp’s substitutions for Dynamo were inspired. Alvin Jarvis shored up the defence, while youngsters Ash Way and Dom Brennan provided pace on the counter, evident when Brennan beat the off-side trap in the hundredth and seventh minute. His first effort was blocked by Haystead but he did well to get off the floor and power the follow-up in to give Dynamo a 2-1 lead.

Report by Richard Rush
Courtesy of the Loughborough Echo