Hornets continued their climb up the table with a convincing seven try victory at Crouchley Lane on Saturday, inflicting a second successive home defeat on the hosts which saw them fall to tenth in the table. Hinckley are now third, level on points with last week’s opponents Barnstaple but with a game in hand.

Hornets simply strangled the life out of the high scoring Cheshire side with an outstanding performance in defence, whilst also proving clinical in attack, running in seven tries including a brace for debutant winger Travis Bennett-Allcock. After a tightly contested first half hour, Hinckley kicked on, notching up six unanswered tries to leave a shell-shocked Lymm side for dead before a late consolation try at last gave the home support something to cheer. Lymm did not help themselves coughing up a regular supply of possession with a high penalty count but it was a victory that exuded confidence and will have sent a clear message to their divisional rivals.

The one negative for the Leicester Road men was a serious injury to scrum half and man of the match Ben Pointon on the hour when he was knocked out cold for some ten minutes, the victim of an entirely blameless knee to the face. It is likely that he will not return to action for the most, if not all, the remainder of the season. His absence will be a major blow for the squad.

Defence Coach Ben Avent was full of praise for his men after the game. ‘That was probably our best defensive performance of the season, and especially pleasing given we were away from home. The lads were connected, physical, and disciplined for the full 80 minutes. The attack also went well and we were clinical throughout in the red zone! And it was great to see a team with so many local lads in it! That said, we need to back it up next week against Taunton to consolidate our third place in the league!’

The weather was hardly welcoming as Hornets ran out facing a strong biting wind with the threat of rain in the air. It seemed that Hinckley would need to hold the prolific Lymm attack in the first period and hope to take advantage of the wind in the second.

The opening minutes found Hinckley struggling for territory with the mighty boot of Lymm scrum half Callum Morris proving a potent weapon. Lymm went close from a catch and drive attempt but it was Hinckley who actually took the lead. A penalty just inside the Lymm half allowed Hornets to set up a catch and drive attempt from 15m. The drive was held but Josh Kent broke clear to go close before offloading to Nigel Mukerati to go in under the posts. Rory Vowles converted to make it 0-7.

A series of penalties against the hosts frustrated their attacking ambitions but they did cross the whitewash next. Vowles had been carded for a deliberate knock-on a minute or two earlier leaving the Hinkley defence a man light but it was a superb dummy at the back of a ruck on the Hinckley 22m from Morris which left the Hinckley defence flat-footed and allowed the scrum half to sprint through the line for the try. Tom Shard converted to level the scores at the start of the second quarter.

And a couple of minutes later Lymm took the lead. Morris launched a massive high kick from inside his own 22m which Hinckley failed to deal with, allowing Lymm winger Jack Stride to pluck the ball out of the air and run the 40m to the line. Shard again converted and there was some optimism amongst the home support that their men could perhaps go into the interval with a substantial advantage.

It was not to be. Hinckley turned over Lymm ball from a line-out 25m from the Lymm line and, after a number of phases, Josh Kent picked up from the back of a ruck to feed Bennett-Allcock who needed no further invitation to grab his first try for the Club on debut. Tom Addison converted

Pointon was denied a try a couple of minutes later after a lightning break from halfway got him over the line but the scrum half lost control as he tried the place the ball.

Hinckley were not to be denied though and Addison set up a catch and drive attempt from 5m from a penalty just outside the Lymm 22m. The drive was held but Andy Muirhead broke from the back of the maul to crash over for the try to complete what had been a highly satisfactory half for the visitors.

It got better within a minute of the return. Lymm claimed their own line-out ball on halfway and sent it down the line only for Will Callan to intercept and sprint the 40m to the line to go in under the posts. Vowles’ conversion made it 14-26.

Five minutes later, Vowles slotted a penalty from 15m after Lymm had been pinged for a high tackle but it was some 20 minutes later before Hinckley added to their score. After a lengthy break for the Pointon injury, Hinckley found themselves with a scrum on the Lymm 5m line. Two penalties ensued, both of which Hornets chose to scrum, and Nick Tarr picked up at the back of the second to drive over for the score.

From the restart Callum Dacey kicked high into the Lymm half and got on the end to collect and kick on again. Will Callan, following through, picked up and offloaded in the tackle to Oli Bee who romped over for the try. Vowles added the extras.

At 14-41 with twelve minutes to go, Hinckley were pretty much out of sight and two minutes later, Bennett-Allcock rubbed salt in the Lymm wounds with his second, and Hinckley’s seventh, try. A Lymm goal-line kick out from the posts was collected by Dacey who ran straight back. He was brought down short but, several phases later, the ball found the Bennet-Allcock in space and he darted over for the score with Vowles making the conversion.

It was over but Lymm still scented a bonus point and threw everything at the last nine minutes. They got one after Vowles had picked up a second yellow card for a high tackle on halfway. The initial threat was seen off but a missed penalty to clear the danger gave Lymm the chance to run the ball back. They secured a penalty 15m out and drove over from a quick tap and go.

That was it though. The Hinckley defence clammed up and saw out time for what was a comprehensive decisive victory.

Nick Robinson