A SINGLE goal was enough to secure Hinckley United’s place in the first round of the FA Trophy in what was a forgettable game of football at the Northolme.

Andre Gray’s strike on the half hour separated the sides although Gainsborough were cursing their luck as a second half effort struck the inside of the post before being hacked off the line. The game was played in blustery condition and the swirling ball was sure to keep both goalkeepers concentration throughout.

And it was Trinity’s number one Kenny Arthur who was called into action first as he palmed an Andy Gooding free-kick around the post.

However there was nothing he could do about the Knitters’ goal on 30 minutes as Jacob Joyce broke clear of the Gainsborough defence and as the keeper rushed to cut down his angles, the on-loan Peterborough front man squared the ball to Gray to simply roll the ball home.

The duo nearly doubled Hinckley’s lead a few minutes but this time Joyce couldn’t outfox Arthur following Gray’s through-ball.

The rest of the first half and majority of the second passed without any action of real note as the Knitters defence stood strong but at the same time were failing to create chances to find the second goal that would have killed the game off.

And they were nearly regretting not taking the game by the scruff of the neck in the 75th minute when a goalmouth scramble saw the ball thumped towards the Hinckley goal, but the post came to their rescue. The ball then trickled along the goal line until a Knitters boot cleared the lines and kept their lead intact.

Hinckley eventually held on for just their second clean sheet of the season and the victory which has sealed them a first round tie at one-time giant-killers Wrexham on Saturday December 10.

HINCKLEY: Hinds, Oddy, Dudley, Newton, Raglan, Flanagan, Kerry, Gooding, Joyce, Gray, Byrne.