Clinical finishing fells Leicester Road
HINCKLEY’S Leicester Road FC were left to rue some missed first half chances as Uttoxeter Town FC finished more clinically after the break and secured a 2-0 home victory writes Greg Rees.
It means the Road slip from second to fourth in the Midland Football League 1 after wins by nearest rivals Ilkeston Town and Atherstone FC – with both of these teams along with leaders Walsall Wood making up LRFC’s next three fixtures.
The Road began very strongly with Nuno Gomes on five minutes breaking down the left wing and whipping in a cross that an unmarked Matt Langham was just inches away from connecting with.
Then on eight minutes a curling Ben Harris free kick was met with a bullet header from Josh Unsworth, but it was brilliantly saved at point blank range by the Uttoxeter keeper.
Harris was also just wide moments later with a left foot volley after a well worked short corner and after more sustained pressure from the Road,
Callum Rudd on 14 minutes grazed the Town crossbar with a flying, free header from a pinpoint cor- ner.
It was a good 20 minutes before Uttoxeter first made any inroads on the Road goal, after a mazy run from their right back resulted in a corner, but after this was snuffed out good work from Jetmir Esso down the Town right wing teed up Jared Acton on the edge of the box but he fired just over the bar.
So, all Leicester Road in the first 25 minutes, but the hosts did start to work their way back into the game via set pieces and on 26 minutes a far post header from a corner caused some momentary panic as the Road took a while to clear their lines.
A left foot Town piledriver was then well held by Road keeper Will Highland and as the Road broke a well weighted floated cross from Sam Munton just evaded Langham in the six yard box.
Uttoxeter then squandered a great chance after a defensive mix up just before the break, but the Road will have gone in for the half time oranges scratching their heads as to why they weren’t at least one goal to the good?
As the second half began, they seemed hell bent on rectifying matters with an electrifying first five minutes that saw another probing cross from Gomes just elude Langham as he was about to slot home.
Then, some delightful approach play between Munton, Luke Kingsley-Smith and Harris set Gomes up on the six yard line, but the keeper somehow got fingertips on his forceful strike and it cannoned back off the Town bar.
Langham had another chance well saved after a quick throw in, but on 61 minutes the game sparked into life for the hosts when a misplaced pass in midfield saw them break quickly – and although Highland saved well the ball looped up kindly for Town’s top scorer James Curley to nod home.
After their earlier dominance it seemed to knock the stuffing out of Leicester Road and although Harris again went close with a curling free kick (after Munton was scythed down in full flow) five minutes later Uttoxeter were 2-0 up after a penetrating right wing cross was headed home - again by Curley.
The Road were up against it now and skipper Greg Downes tried his luck from 20 yards out and although well placed it lacked the power to trouble the Town keeper.
On 75 minutes Langham cleverly found Munton in space down the right, but the keeper saved well with his feet – without knowing much about it – and Town eventually hacked the ball clear.
Minutes later another Leicester Road chance went begging after another goalmouth scramble in the Town box, while Unsworth and Gomes had further half chances with headers, but it proved to be a fruitless afternoon in front of goal for the Hinckley team.
Leicester Road made two substitutions late on to try and salvage the game – Joseph Lyne for Esso, and Jake Holt for Munton - but it was ultimately a disappointing and frustrating defeat (not helped by some strange referee and linesman decisions) that saw three Road players booked for dissent.