LONG EATON UNITED 2-2 LOUGHBOROUGH UNIVERSITY: MATCH REPORT...

Students See Long Eaton Examination Through To The End…

Long Eaton United 2-2 Loughborough University

Goalkeeper Charlie Hornby replaced the injured Sean Bowles for Coalville Town during the Boxing Day defeat to rivals Barwell because his deputy Matt Coton was playing for Long Eaton against Heanor. Thus by New Year’s Eve, Coton had returned to Owen St to prepare for Coalville’s January 2nd fixture and intriguingly, Hornby had replaced Coton at Grange Park for United’s league match against the Loughborough students. Hornby, ably assisted by defenders Rob McCormick and the vociferous Paul Lister helped United to gain a point from a game they might otherwise have lost. Uni’ missed a number of scoring chances to secure victory, set up by some busy approach play but forwards Jason Davis and Ben Ward-Cochrane were profligate and even the first Loughborough goal flew in via a deflection off the unsuspecting Alex Read. 

LEGG & PILIERO, THE WELL KNOWN FIRM OF LAWYERS, ARGUE IN FRONT OF THE JUDGES...

The hosts nearly capitalised, despite missing a penalty and netted a late second period goal to go 2-1 ahead but to new manager Gary Hamson’s chagrin, his team conceded an even later left-side corner and subsequently defender Joe Jackson rapped a deserved equalising goal for the students. Yes, Long Eaton had squandered a possible victory but their offense had operated in fits and starts in truth, frequently lacking the cohesion of their visitors. Both teams were served well by their goaltenders and I guess that on reflection a point apiece would not have been too unacceptable for both teams.  

Uni’ ‘keeper Conor O’Keefe had two fly-kicks partially blocked by the tall, unsmiling United striker Romaine Graham in the opening exchanges which in all honesty were untidy, inaccurate and unworthy of the Midland Premier League. An early Blair Anderson corner for Long Eaton bounced through a crowded 6 yard box but McCormick was unable to get a telling touch on the inviting delivery. However, home midfielder Jermaine Hollis, who was prominent on occasions but not on others, was involved at the start and at the finish of a decent period for the visitors. He made a fine stopping tackle on Ward-Cochrane who was preparing to shoot, before Read curled a shot to Hornby and Andrew Bridge whipped a near post effort over the target from a right-side corner which Long Eaton didn’t react to defensively. After another shot, this time by Davis, dropped too high Hollis with his locks held tight by a band, launched himself into two superb offensive challenges and won the ball twice but his eventual drive at goal rose over O’Keefe’s crossbar.

"THIS IS THE WAY WE KICK A BALL, KICK A BALL, KICK A BALL..."

ROMAINE GRAHAM FINDS AN ANCIENT ROMAN RING-KEY ON AN ARCHAEOLOGICAL DIG...

This effort at goal was followed by a soft opening goal for the sniggering students. The attack itself had been promising then a left-flank corner was struck too hard but the ball was retrieved by Bridge who cut inside to shoot low. Read was in the way however and onside but reacted like a matador hoping to avert the attentions of a mad bull, only for the ball to smack against him and roll into the left corner of the net past a helpless Hornby.

ACCIDENTAL GOAL BY READ...

ACCIDENTAL CELEBRATION...

Uni’ struck the home crossbar soon afterwards through Ward-Cochrane I think, although I could be wrong but when Bridge’s challenge on the tumbling Josh Raven, once a Coalville Raven, was deemed a push and therefore a penalty by the referee, Long Eaton were gifted a chance to regain parity. This opportunity was scorned by Michael Towey, although by wearing his skipper Paulo Piliero’s number 8 shirt he was maybe hoping not to get negative news coverage if he missed the spot-kick. He did miss it too, for O’Keefe dived low to his right to turn the ball away for a corner. The two United players reappeared after the break wearing their correct numbers… 

"A PUSH? ME? NO WAY..."

A poor Hornby kick set up Ward-Cochrane for a shot at goal but in fairness the ‘keeper advanced to complete a fine save to make amends and deflected the pacy forward’s effort away. This crucial save led to United’s equaliser which in truth was earned but perhaps undeservedly so. A left-side throw was jumped for by Towey, kicked at by Graham and the Uni’ defenders hesitated like rabbits in a tractor’s headlights, so that the ball slipped across the edge of the Loughborough 6 yard box for a second time in the half and this time right-back Raven struck a low shot beyond O’Keefe into the bottom left side of the net.

ROMAINE GRAHAM: WILL HE SMILE NEXT TIME?

Romello Nangle had made a couple of little runs for the hosts and his best effort was rather good to watch, although Jackson stopped him in his tracks 21 yards from goal. I think Jackson was cautioned although I can’t be certain of that but Anderson’s low free-kick struck the Uni’ defensive wall and the rebound was saved low and comfortably by the falling O’Keefe.

THE PLAYERS PAUSE TO APPRECIATE THE CLOUD FORMATION...

Half-time arrived and despite the promptings of midfielder Alex Johnson and the nippy movement of striker Dan Tuck, student skipper Elliott Legg, who was pulling the strings and sounding like a P.E. teacher coaching his Year 8s at times (just jesting…) simply hadn’t been able to conjure up a more incisive offense. Right-back Josh Hill would testify to Legg’s ‘encouragements’… Long Eaton looked a little lacking in belief at times, despite the promptings of the tidy and inventive Piliero but must have been pleased to be level at the interval. On one occasion, all 20 outfield players were massed on the grandstand side of the field, the ball was in play but there was not one player on the other side of the centre-spot. Width? What’s that?

THE GAME WAS ACTUALLY GOING ON...
WHERE WAS THE WIDTH???

Twice at the start of the second-half Long Eaton threatened but Graham couldn’t find the target and Anderson was unable to really test O’Keefe. Left-back Danny Brain who was resolute throughout the match and made several strong forward runs, provided a fine centre which Graham slid for at the near upright but lifted his shot awry then Anderson’s low shot from a running position lacked power and the advancing O’Keefe dropped left to save with ease. The livelier second forty-five minutes continued as first Ward-Cochrane lurched forth and then Legg shoved a pass for Davis to chase and surely score from but his boot could only nudge the ball against the brave advance of Hornby, from where it rebounded off the muscular forward and past a post. 

ROB McCORMICK REFLECTS ON HIS CAUTION...

Towey was beginning to link more often with Piliero for the Blues and managed to set up Anderson for a shot at inside-left but the winger’s strike was wastefully off target, wide of the left stick. The closest to a goal in the half so far stemmed from a free-kick at inside-right taken by Piliero and the trajectory, neck-high, maybe, flicked Towey’s head but O’Keefe plunged right to turn the ball away well. The goal-minder then leapt out of goal to fist away a left-side delivery, before McCormick was fouled as he cleared a Loughborough attack which the referee ignored. McCormick wasn’t best pleased and performed a fine block on an opponent, reminiscent of a Kansas City Chiefs’ cornerback taking out a wide receiver on a post-route…     

BEN WARD-COCHRANE: LOOKED GOOD ON THE BALL BUT HIS FINISHING WAS A LITTLE OFF @ LONG EATON...

After Ward-Cochrane struck a free-kick into the Blues’ defensive wall and then fired tamely into the side-netting from an advantageous position, left side, Anderson got in a cross from the United left, Nangle’s awkward header set up Hollis for a shot but the weak effort rolled to O’Keefe. The remainder of the half saw the guests in the ascendancy for a good deal of the time and Johnson’s cunning passing and Legg’s nuisance came to the fore, probably due to some loose marking by the home midfielders. Ward-Cochrane was freed centrally but with only the exposed Hornby to beat, he somehow contrived to shoot against his other boot and the ball looped off target, then Hornby trained his eyes on the ball as Read got free in the middle of the penalty-box to make a fine save from the midfielder’s hard low drive. 

CHARLIE HORNBY: A FINE GAME FOR THE BLUES...
ER, THE ORANGES...

A Johnson free-kick took two deflections on its way for a goal-kick, Johnson then fed the powerful Davis on the 18 yard line but the striker’s wallop flew wastefully wide and wouldn’t you know it, with the introduction of Kev Hemagou for the too quiet Nangle, the only replacement used at all in the encounter, the hosts stole the lead. Hemagou’s work on the right saw a low cross turned into the net untidily by the scrambling Graham and suddenly, the students felt hard done by.

2-1...

AND STILL ROMAINE ISN'T SMILING...

Davis chased a neat Johnson pass but the bravery of Hornby again foiled the forward, Ward-Cochrane was cautioned for a late challenge, then Bridge, overlapping, saw his release towards the near post which was going wide anyway, pushed behind for a corner by Hornby. The ensuing corner was nudged on by Tom Rankin who had played rather well in central defence for the students and there was his defensive partner Jackson to bury the ball into the Long Eaton net.

CHARLIE PRETENDS TO BE A TORTOISE.
NOT REALLY.
HE'S TAKEN A BOOT FROM AN ATTACKER...

2-2: JACKSON...

 It remained only for Ward-Cochrane to fail to connect with a low right-flank centre from the byeline and for Hollis to get little purchase on a 15 yard volley straight at O’Keefe and the game then ran out of time. Uni’s missed chances would be the main gripe for their coaches but some of their approach play was admirable on a damp, soft pitch. There was a liveliness about their play, through Legg, Read and Tuck, which was not reflected too often by Long Eaton, who looked restricted sometimes, despite the continued creativity of Piliero and Brain’s offensive runs. Graham certainly didn’t flinch from being the ‘centre-forward’ but the service to him was inconsistent and he was rarely offered the kind of assistance a striker needs to rampage through a defence. 

Well played the goalies…

TEAMS:

LONG EATON UNITED:

CHARLIE HORNBY, JOSH RAVEN, DANNY BRAIN, PAUL LISTER, ROB McCORMICK, JERMAINE HOLLIS, MICHAEL TOWEY, PAULO PILIERO (CAPT), ROMAINE GRAHAM, ROMELLO NANGLE, BLAIR ANDERSON.

SUBS:

ADAM KEMP, AARON COLE, JORDAN DAKIN, KEV HEMAGOU.

LOUGHBOROUGH UNIVERSITY:

CONOR O’KEEFE, JOSH HILL, ANDREW BRIDGE, JOE JACKSON, TOM RANKIN, ALEX JOHNSON, ELLIOTT LEGG (CAPT), ALEX READ, DAN TUCK, BEN WARD-COCHRANE, JASON DAVIS.

SUBS:

CHRISTOPHE IVANOUSICH, BILLY SMITH, KARL BRENNAN, MICHAEL SKUBALA, MATT STOCK.