Bromsgrove Sporting 2, Hinckley AFC 3

BROMSGROVE Sporting's title hopes suffered a set back after a last-gasp winner saw Midlands Division One rivals Hinckley take the spoils at the Victoria Ground, writes Reece Charlton.

A second defeat in four days, sealed by Dominic Smith's late winner, saw the Rouslers miss an opportunity to pile the pressure on the sides above and leaves their hopes of topping the table out of their control.

With Hinckley boasting an unbeaten record stretching back to October, Sporting knew they had a challenge on their hands before the game had even begun.

Bromsgrove dominated the first half, as chances game galore for the home side.

Josh McKenzie, who had scored a brace in this fixture back in August and has now returned to the Victoria Ground after a spell at Studley, came close after latching on to Jack Wilson’s cross, but his headed attempt just went wide of the right hand post.

Sporting kept the pressure on their promotion chasing rivals, as McKenzie slotted a through ball to Chris Conway who could only blast the ball into the side netting.

Bromsgrove got the goal they were searching for on 24 minutes thanks to a penalty, as Will Tibbetts was tripped in the area.

Reece Hewitt stepped up and calmly placed it into the left-side of the net.

But the second half was a different affair, as it took a good 25 minutes for either side to get a good chance at goal, as on 71 minutes, Tibbetts got past the Hinckley defence and unleashed a shot that was well saved by Sam Arnold.

But ten crazy minutes cost the hosts. In the 79th minute, Hinckley got their equaliser through Tyrone Clark-O’Connell, as he tapped in from close range from Justin Nisbett’s cross.

Three minutes later, the game was turned on its head as Carl Abbott’s men took the lead in controversial circumstances.

Isaac Cooper’s long throw headed towards goal, and keeper Jake Bedford could only touch the ball into his own net.

Sporting made it 2-2 in the 88th minute, as Lewis Clarke headed home from a free-kick.

However, Hinckley snatched the game in the final moments of the game when Smith got the final touch to a deep Ross Clarke pass.

The visitors departed with all three points and kept their hopes of promotion alive as they still trail league leaders Highgate Town by one point, while Sporting still sit in fifth place, 11 points adrift of the promotion spot.

SPORTING: Bedford, Duggan, Morris, Wills (Clarke, 55), Smith, Jones, Tibbetts, Hewitt, Conway (Dempster, 75), McKenzie, Wilson (Brain, 57). Unused subs: Fitter, Jakab.

HINCKLEY: Arnold, Tomlinson, Cooper, Smith, Morris, Walker (Nisbett, 45), Melligan, Clarke, Millington, Adaggio (Healy, 12), Richards (Clark-O’Connell, 55). Unused Subs: Jephcott.

Attendance: 526 Referee: S Brown (Redditch) Sporting Man of the Match: Craig Jones Reporter: Reece Charlton.