Big win was a great advert for the league
MIDLANDS DIVISION ONE
LEICESTER Road entertained current league leaders Lichfield City and ended up thoroughly entertaining the crowds at the Leicester Road stadium with a good win.
Amarvir Sandhu was the only change from the Studley game coming in on the left hand side for Theo Brown.
With both teams starting brightly, a decent crowd was provided with end to end action.
After Alex Kent had headed over a Jake Holt cross on seven minutes, he was on hand soon after down the left hand side of the box to float over a cross that Joe Lyne headed powerfully past the keeper to open the scoring.
Two minutes later it was Greg Downes who had a great opportunity and only desperate defending saw his effort deflected over the bar.
On the half hour Tom McGlinchey blocked a keeper’s clearance but was unable to force the loose ball home.
The visitors looked to force their way back into the game and on 35 minutes they saw a header narrowly clear the home cross bar.
Leicester Road went straight down the other end and after a Sandhu run into the box and with the linesman flagging for the foul, the referee waved away penalty appeals to frustrate the home support.
The Lichfield keeper was called into action as Kent nearly finished off a great ball from McGlinchey but he was helpless on the stroke of half time as Downes finished off a great run from Sandhu.
The visitors started the second half in determined fashion and on 50 minutes their centre half was only denied by a combination of desperate defending and the cross bar.
The game was a great advert for the League with action at both ends and Kent was denied by the Lichfield keeper on 55 minutes.
With the next goal looking vitally important it was Sandhu again who weaved his way into the box and with the defence back-pedaling, an outstretched foot gave the referee no option but to award a spot kick.
Nick Hawkins was the man to take the responsibility and he stroked the ball in to increase the lead, sending the keeper the wrong way.
With Sandhu causing the Lichfield defence a number of problems he was being targeted by a number of heavy challenges and on 66 minutes he was forced to leave the action after a heavy challenge on the touchline.
On 75 minutes the game was made safe after great work on the left was rifled home by man of the match Lyne at the far post.
The visitors kept pressing the home team as the game closed out and substitute Lewis Bourne added a consolation for the visitors on 82 minutes.