Nine-man Leicester Road hang on to share points
HINCKLEY’S Leicester Road FC played out a hard fought 0-0 versus Pershore Town on Saturday, but bizarrely finished the game with just nine men, writes Greg Rees.
Yet again refereeing decisions conspired against them as the man in black seemed hell bent on making life extra difficult; with striker Matt Langham shown a harsh straight red on 75 mins and full back Luke KingsleySmith inexplicably following on 85 mins.
The game was played in atrocious conditions, howling winds and pummelling rain hardly conducive to decent football, so the first half was pretty even with few clear cut chances for either side.
Second half the Road started to get on top, playing the better football and handling the conditions better, but on 75 mins the game turned on its head. Substitute Sam Munton twisted and turned his man on the left and from his deep cross Callum Rudd evaded his marker and had his fierce shot blocked by the last defender.
As the ball rolled across their line, Langham was perfectly entitled to go for goal and the 50/50 ball with the second defender who slid in. It sparked a melee, however, with the defender bouncing straight up off the floor to get involved, but Langham earning all the blame.
Kingsley-Smith got his first yellow shortly after questioning a decision while his second was following a clearance out and a footrace with their player chasing back. With both obviously contesting the ball and coming together, the Pershore player fell and it was Leicester Road again deemed the culprits.
LRFC never looked in trouble of conceding at any stage of the game, even with nine men, but the three points were just beyond them on a hugely frustrating afternoon when nothing went for the Hinckley team.
Midweek meanwhile, Leicester Road edged a seven-goal home thriller 4-3 over Premier league Quorn FC to progress to the next round of the Leicestershire Challenge Cup.
Quorn took the lead early on with a neat finish at the back post, however, it was 1 - 1 soon after following good, intelligent hold up play from Matty Langham, who unselfishly squared for strike partner Nuno Gomes to equalise.
LRFC then took the lead, with Langham again instrumental as his fierce drive was only parried by the Quorn keeper and skipper Greg Downes was on hand to tap in, but LRFC went in on level terms at the break however, after a long range effort took a wicked deflection to wrong foot and evade the unfortunate Ricky Blewitt in the home goal.
After an even start to the second half, it became 3 - 2 to the Road when Nuno Gomes was brought down in the box and Downes got his second converting the subsequent penalty. But Quorn FC pulled it level again when after a mad scramble in the box the ball was eventually smashed into the roof of the LRFC net.
The winner though was a strike worthy of deciding any game and it came from the livewire Burrows (pictured), who from the corner of the box fired a screamer into the top corner to send a jubilant Leicester Road FC through to the next round.