Grantham Town are beaten by Hinckley Leicester Road in the Northern Premier League

Two injury time goals sent Grantham Town to defeat in their vital relegation battle with Hinckley Leicester Road on Saturday.

The Gingerbreads had looked set to pick up a point from their Northern Premier League Midlands Division clash until Hinckley hit two goals in stoppage time to secure a 4-2 victory.

The defeat leaves Grantham four points away from safety and only off the foot of the table on goal difference.

Interim manager Paul Rawden said: "I've said for the last couple of weeks that we aren't fit enough as a team and in added time that cost us.

"We let ourselves down in the goals we conceded - we gave Hinckley that game.

"We showed very good character to come back from behind twice, but it was the manner of the goals we conceded that was disappointing."

It took a while for either side to create any chances.

Hinckley started playing the ball around well while the Gingerbreads looked for a long ball forward.

The first real chance led to the first goal as Grantham lost the ball inside their own half from their own throw-in and Hinckley worked it to Liam Read who scored with a simple finish.

Grantham responded with a good through ball for Lewis Darlington but his pull back only found a defender.

Michael Armstrong immediately combined with Read to create a shooting chance but dragged his shot wide.

A few minutes later Hinckley almost got in again as Aaron Nuttall was close to getting behind the Grantham defence but the Gingerbreads chased back to deny him.

The home side could run at the Grantham defence with little challenge but, when in the penalty area, they could not get efforts on goal.

Read had the chance to double the home side's lead just before half-time as Louie Gill delivered a great cross that found his team-mate perfectly placed but the striker headed wide.

A brighter start to the second half saw Grantham level on 48 minutes.

Max Cook played a ball through for Jevan Seaton who calmly lifted the ball over Hinckley goalkeeper Jake Leban for a debut goal following his arrival from United Counties League Division One side Radford.

The better chances continued to go the way of the home side.

Ben Humphries missed his header from a good position from one corner and from another delivered a cross that bounced around in the Gingerbreads penalty area before AJ Adelekan cleared the danger.

With 20 minutes remaining, Hinckley took the lead for the second time.

Gill ran at the Grantham defence and went past three challenges and played the ball in to Read who had time to turn before scoring his second of the afternoon.

The lead only lasted two minutes this time as Grantham immediately hit back when Darlington was played in and levelled the game with a composed finish.

The home side came strongly at the Gingerbreads in the final few minutes.

A miskick by Ryan Ebanks gave Nuttall the chance to race away and deliver a cross that Jack Butterfill did well to clear.

Two goals in added time denied Grantham a point.

Hinckley had time to pass the ball around the edge of the Grantham penalty area. From Jordan Burrows to Nuttall and Read they worked an opening to set up Armstrong who fired in from 20 yards out.

Grantham literally threw everything forward to try and grab a second late equaliser in two weeks but it backfired.

The ball was lost with goalkeeper Curtis Hall stranded upfield and Hinckley got it wide to Chris Jones who rolled a shot into the empty net from just inside the Grantham half.

Grantham Town Supporters Club Lottery winners: £200 Nick Sentence, £10 John Taylor, Mia Parker, Fred Jones.