Injuries costly for Motormen

Sep 19 2008 Chester Chronicle

Injuries costly for Motormen

Vauxhall Motors 0 Hinckley United 4

VAUXHALL came back down to earth from their recent fine run with a heavy defeat against a well-organised Hinckley side on Saturday.

The Motormen, though, had the best of the opening exchanges, Rio Nelson twice firing off target in the opening five minutes before unleashing a 25-yard volley on seven which Hinckley’s former Chester City keeper Chris Mackenzie did well to tip over for a corner.

It took Hinckley until the 18th minute to break the deadlock. Motors keeper James Coates came to claim an Andy Hall corner and missed, allowing Tom Bonner to head home at the back post.

Carl Macauley’s men could probably have recovered from that, but the enforced withdrawal before half-time of Nelson and Jordan Holmes due to injury and the half-time substitution of Jon Egerton left a still relatively thin Motors side suddenly in deep trouble.

On 56 minutes, Hinckley doubled their advantage when Conner Franklin crossed from the left and Hall finished from six yards out to make it 2-0.

It got worse for the Motormen on 67 minutes when United substitute Alex Taylor played a great ball into Adam Webster, who slotted the ball past the advancing Coates to make it 3-0.

On 80 minutes Hinckley got their fourth. A defensive mix up between Vauxhall captain Ged Brannan and Coates resulted in substitute Gez Murphy nipping in and poking the ball into an empty net.

Vauxhall, who crashed out of the Cheshire Senior Cup at Altrincham on Wednesday following a 4-2 extra-time defeat, travel to Hyde United in the league tomorrow (3pm kick-off).

The postponed home game against Blyth Spartans has now been rearranged for Tuesday, September 30 (7.45pm).

Motors have signed striker Nick Robinson from FC United of Manchester and former Shrewsbury Town youth team midfielder Anthony McDowell.

Midfielder Keith Smith has left the club to join Caernarfon.

Vauxhall were handed a trip to Blue Square rivals Southport in the second qualifying round of the FA Cup on Monday. The game will take place on Saturday, September 27.