ST ANDREWS 5-1 LONG EATON UNITED: MATCH REPORT...

St Andrews Crush Weakened Long Eaton On A Hard, Frosty, Unforgiving Surface

St Andrews 5-1 Long Eaton United

There was an inevitability about this result right from United’s arrival at Canal St, when the visitors were uncomfortable about the referee’s decision that the pitch was playable. Certainly one penalty-area was solid with frost, other places were also dodgy and Long Eaton manager Gary Hamson was clearly unhappy that the safety of all twenty-two players could be compromised. The groundsman reckoned that with 35 years of experience at the ground, the pitch would eventually yield in the sunlight but I couldn’t help wondering whether that might have been true for a 3pm kick-off but this start was scheduled for midday. Obviously Drews were keen to play for Long Eaton were severely depleted on the day. Their assistant manager Shaun Rickford and also Mr Hamson’s son Daniel who is another member of the management team, were both ill. Missing from their 2-2 draw with Loughborough University on Saturday were scoring right-back Josh Raven, who was named on the bench but remained unused, central defender and stalwart Rob McCormick, midfielder Jermaine Hollis, forward Kev Hemagou and winger Blair Anderson, which left Mr Hamson in a real mess, having to play striker Romaine Graham in central defence and being able to name only the bare eleven starters.

SAM PRESTON SHOWS HIS FRIENDS ONE OF THE MAGIC TRICKS HE RECEIVED FOR CHRISTMAS...

OMG... ROMAINE GRAHAM SMILES...

As a neutral, having seen United claim a point against the students, it was plain that Drews would dominate this match and dominate it they certainly did, totally deserving their comfortable victory. There was too much creativity in midfield by Elliot Putnam, too much efficiency in attack from two-goal Shay Brennan and too much involvement by Sam Hollis and the undaunted Rob Morgan in the trenches for the guests to cope with. Keaton Towers (surely a great name for a Silent Movie Leisure Park…) was busy in midfield too, although he was fortunate to escape cautions for a lunging challenge which he was warned about and then for conceding a penalty. In fairness though, visiting striker Romello Nangle was guilty of a few late niggles and really ought to have been booked too. 

JOHNSON & NANGLE TANGLE...

NANGLE & TOWERS: BOTH ESCAPED CAUTIONS...

In the early exchanges, both Brennan and Hollis shot too high for the hosts but despite their obvious ascendancy, home ‘keeper Warren Butlin was threatened twice by lone forward Nangle, who got the goalie in a tangle by his defensive left corner-flag and his feed allowed a low cross by Kameron Campbell which Butlin scrambled to collect in front of the lurking Adam Kemp, whose beard was surely stiffening at such a low temperature. Kemp then crossed from the left but Nangle was unable to direct his unchallenged header, which flew well over the home crossbar. After that point, in truth Drews dominated and Graham and Paul Lister were placed under some real pressure in the United defence.

LONG EATON'S CHARLIE HORNBY GETS UP AFTER A COLLISION ON THE ROCK-FACE... 

Brennan lobbed a header from the lively Hodkinson’s cross into Charlie Hornby’s arms, who also collected a deflected 22 yarder by Putnam before Towers slid in dangerously on tall Long Eaton midfielder Michael Towey. Another slide-in, this time by the competitive Morgan on the advancing Hornby went unpunished but when Kemp lost out in the Blues’ midfield, Brennan attacked from an angle on the right but fired a shot into the side-netting. The opening goal soon followed and it stemmed from slight hesitancy by Jordan Dakin, who was bypassed by Putnam and the ball was passed inside from the left for Morgan to break onto, leaving Lister listing like a trawler in surf and the midfielder shot a neat low goal across Hornby.

1-0...

SMART FINISH BY THE SWITCHED-ON MORGAN...

It appeared that the ball was rolling when Leon Doughty’s right-side corner was taken short and although the ball was tucked into the net at the near stick by Brennan, the officials cancelled out the score. However, when another right-flank corner was cleared by Long Eaton, a cross was spooned in smartly by Morgan and a close range header by defender Perry Johnson beat the flailing Hornby. 

2-0: JOHNSON...

Towey did manage to free Nangle for the first of two rushes at inside-left which were both stopped by fine blocks from home defender Lewis Gibbons and Nangle was then censured by the referee for a few late flicks at defenders’ boots by Nangle. Tower drove well over the home crossbar but a killer third goal would wreck any Long Eaton ambitions just before the interval. Hollis was freed towards the right byeline and his low delivery was sneakily heeled inside the far upright by Brennan, at the near post, who really was causing Lister some problems. 

3-0...

HORNBY ATTEMPTS TO BITE GOALSCORER BRENNAN ON THE SHOULDER...

A late low cross into the Drews’ goal-area came to nought due to no United players reacting whatsoever and the half ended with Paulo Piliero’s frustrated troops already looking like a well beaten team. It was odd to see no visiting players warming up at the break  and in fairness to Long Eaton, they showed some improvement in the opening moments of the second-half. 

LONG EATON REAPPEAR WONDERING HOW THEY COULD POSSIBLY HAUL BACK A 0-3 DEFICIT...

GARY HAMSON WONDERS WHY HE DIDN'T REMAIN IN BED ILL LIKE OTHERS ON HIS COACHING TEAM...

An awful effort from 22 yards by Danny Brain which might have bobbled from the harsh surface onto his right boot, skewed 15 yards wide, Nangle and Towey threatened briefly but an offside flag was waving vigorously and then Nangle ran rapidly into the right side of the 18 yard box, only for Towers to slide in at him recklessly and concede a spot-kick which Aaron Cole rapped low into the left corner of the net, although Butlin nearly got enough of his gloves on it to keep it out.

3-1...

PENALTY SCORER COLE DARES TO DREAM?
NO...

Immediately though Towey was mugged and Putnam’s astute pass into the inside-right channel released Brennan who measured his shot neatly past the advancing Hornby and low into the far corner of the net. 4-1 ahead, Doughty and Towers were replaced by Ben Tansley and Tom Marriott, the latter of whom so nearly converted another low shot from the right by the elusive Brennan. Tansley found himself free on that side too though and his low cross-shot bounced off Lister’s boot into his own net. Lister certainly worked hard but reckoned that his day had been ruined totally when an opponent attempted a ‘rabona’ near the offensive left touchline… 

4-1 & BRENNAN LOOKS PLEASED...

...BEFORE RUSHING TO PUTNAM TO THANK HIM FOR THE PINPOINT PASS...

5-1...

TANSLEY DESERVES THE CREDIT FOR THE GOAL...

HORNBY WOULD RATHER PLAY WITH HIS TRAINS...

GRAHAM'S STANCE SAYS IT ALL FOR LONG EATON...

Lister cleared a dangerous cross, Hornby punched a Hodkinson corner back to the Drews’ number 2, whose resulting clipped shot forced the goaltender to turn the effort over his cross-beam. Hornby did even better to beat away a hard low shot by Brennan and after Tansley had set up Hollis for a low shot, the ball only just flew wide of the left upright. Johnson took a break, Francis Lynch appeared for the hosts and subsequently the excellent Putnam shot two efforts too high as time ran out. All that the guests had managed during the period following goal four, was a right-wing centre by right-back Campbell which led to a weak Dakin shot rolling straight at defender Johnson who cleared far too easily. 

MORE PRESSURE FOR THE BLUES TO DEAL WITH...

BRAIN, HURT EARLIER WHEN SLIDING ON THE HARD SURFACE, IS STRUGGLING AGAIN...

GARY HAMSON DID HAVE ONE FRIEND TO TALK TO...
THE PHYSIO' WAS LESS THAN HAPPY ABOUT THE GAME GOING AHEAD...

The match had really been decided when goal two went in and I guess this allowed the Drews to relax and play their football which came mainly from the determined runs of Hodkinson and Hollis, from the physicality of the all-action Morgan and in particular from the astute vision of Putnam whose passes were a main feature of this encounter. Home skipper Sam Preston held his team together sensibly but the visitors really struggled to find any telling offense despite some effort by Cole and in particular the non-stop chasing by the poorly served Nangle. Graham did his best in defence and was even seen to smile once or twice but in the end an ailing Long Eaton outfit was put to the sword by a better St Andrews team in tough conditions…    

A LATE RUSH BY NANGLE...

GRAHAM WAS SO FRUSTRATED THAT HE ATTEMPTED TO UPROOT A FENCE POST...

LISTER: REMAINED FOCUSSED BUT WISHED HE WAS AT THE PUB...
...OR McDONALD'S...

TEAMS:

ST ANDREWS:

WARREN BUTLIN, RYAN HODKINSON, ELLIOT PUTNAM, PERRY JOHNSON, LEWIS GIBBONS, SAM PRESTON (CAPT), KEATON TOWERS, ROB MORGAN, SHAY BRENNAN, LEON DOUGHTY, SAM HOLLIS.

SUBS:

BEN TANSLEY, FRANCIS LYNCH, TOM MARRIOTT.

LONG EATON UNITED:

CHARLIE HORNBY, KAMERON CAMPBELL, DANNY BRAIN, PAUL LISTER, ROMAINE GRAHAM, PAULO PILIERO (CAPT), ADAM KEMP, MICHAEL TOWEY, ROMELLO NANGLE, AARON COLE, JORDAN DAKIN.

SUB:

JOSH RAVEN.