DMW October 30, 1999

WHAT a difference a week makes. The Greens went from heroes to zeros in the space of seven days.

That 5-1 win over Rocester was put into harsh perspective by the demolition job rampant Hinckley -- admittedly an impressive side -- did on Rovers.

Saturday's game was over after just a quarter of an hour, with the home side already three goals to the good.

Considering the Greens' own goalscoring problems this season there was to be no way back, even so early on.

Rovers were partly the architects of their own downfall, repeatedly guilty of two of the cardinal sins of defending -- giving the ball away and getting caught in possession, particularly before the interval.

A two-goal burst in as many minutes saw Gary Ricketts put Hinckley ahead with an angled drive across Derek Dudley in the eighth, rapidly followed by Paul Hunter's lob over the stranded keeper, caught out by Russell Dodd's misplaced header back.

Hunter made it 3-0 with a close range header in a 14th minute goalmouth scramble and the spectre of a humiliating double-figure Hallowe'en weekend horror loomed large.

Mercifully, Hinckley added just two more during the second half, through Morton Titterton's stooping header at the far post in the 71st minute and the 75th minute netbuster from Hunter, on the run, which completed his hat-trick.

By now Greens' boss Steve Daley's exasperation at his forwards' ineptitude had reached breaking point and in a 77th minute triple substitution he hauled off Richard Ball and Richard Congrave, together with midfielder Mark Benbow.

Among the subs thrown into the fray was debutant Robert Hunter, a midfielder-cum-striker signed from Paget Rangers on the morning of the match.

Rovers' embarrassment could have been even worse but for sloppy finishing by Ricketts and Jamie Lenton, who should have converted chances with just Dudley to beat.

Ian Cooper, back in the side after a holiday, picked up a 59th minute booking during an all too rare show of spirit from the Greens.

Rovers: Dudley, Cooper, Ulfig, Davies, Winstone, Dodd, Benbow (sub Hunter 77), Ball (sub Jinks 77), Congrave (sub Cummings 77), Daley, Bytheway.

Attendance: 229. Rovers man of the match: Tom Davies.