Gornal Athletic 1

Hinton 0

HINTON battled hard against the West Midlands League Division 1 South leaders Gornal but were denied a share of the points by a late goal.

The first half produced a stalemate as both teams struggled to control the ball on an uneven pitch made more difficult by a stiff, chilling wind.

Chances were few and far between, with play generally confined to midfield and Gornal trying to make progress by pumping a lot of long balls into the Hinton box for their two big strikers.

Dafydd Roberts and Mike Marsden coped well with this aerial threat, however, and Hinton goalkeeper Dave Spenc-er's handling was first class.

Gornal gradually got on top after the break and Hinton were forced to defend for long periods. They did this well and occasionally broke to threaten the home goal with Ross Semple twice going close.

With a share of the points looking a just return for sterling defence, Hinton failed to clear a ball into the box and it broke kindly for the home striker to fire home a late winner.