FOOTBALL: A SOUTHAM side which included three 16-year-olds were taught a harsh lesson on Saturday after they fell to a disappointing 12-0 defeat on the road at Hinckley.
With team selection again disrupted by injury and unavailability, it was always going to be a tough ask for Southam against a richly resourced Hinckley side who scored six goals in either half to consign the visitors to their tenth league defeat of the season.
Development team players Nathan Robertshaw, Brady Floyd and James Beechey all performanced admirably on their senior debut but the writing was on the wall for Southam as early as the ninth minute.
Javia Roberts opened the scoring for the home side before Ryan Seal doubled their advantage as Hinckley took control of the match.
Hinckley continued to assert their dominance when Peter Williams’ fierce drive from the edge of the box was deflected past Nathan Carro in the Saints goal to put the hosts 3-0 up inside 15 minutes.
Sullivan twice went close and Jamal Clarke headed narrowly wide before Seal added a fourth by poking home at the far post and two goals in the final five minutes of the first half made the half time scoreline even more emphatic.
The second half saw more of the same, and just one minute into it Lee Butler’s free kick flashed past the ‘keeper for a seventh after Saints conceded possession and then an unnecessary foul from their own kick off.
Hinckley keeper Whitcombe was then called into action for the first time, dealing with Callum Halpin’s strike after Southam’s best move of the match, but AFC resumed their dominance with two quickfire goals before the hour mark.
Seal was afforded a tap in after Roberts’ fine run down the right, and Sullivan smashed in a ninth not long after before Sullivan added a tenth with a fine free kick midway through the half.
Williams scored his second of the game with a deft lob and the scoring was completed late on when Seal sent Roberts through on goal, the winger coolly converting when one-on-one to round off a comprehensive victory.
