Leicester Road up to second in league

HINCKLEY’S Leicester Road FC earned a comfortable enough 2-0 home win over Stafford Town to move up to second place in Midlands Football League 1.

Second half strikes from Joseph Lyne and Jake Holt secured the three points for the Road, but the game very nearly didn’t go ahead following a week of dealing with burst pipes after the ‘Beast from the East’ struck the stadium.

Right up until kick off, kind hearted supporters joined LRFC staff in forking the pitch to ensure it drained properly and although the game was given the go ahead, the first half proved a bit heavy going with very few chances created as both teams cancelled each other out.

LRFC’s silky pass and move football was more pleasing on the eye, but Stafford’s direct and robust approach also has its merits and caused the home team some problems.

The game properly sprang into life on 63 mins when LRFC centre half Callum Earls struck a fierce volley which the Stafford keeper did very well to parry away.

But from the resultant Jake Holt corner, a ricochet’s in the six yard box squirmed off a Stafford defender and Lyne was on hand to poke it home and break the deadlock.

On 75 mins the visitors spurned a golden chance to equalise as a close range header hit the far post and the ball was eventually scrambled clear by the Road.

However, they quickly seized the initiative again and on 83 mins Holt turned his marker on the edge of the box and expertly curled the ball into the bottom left corner for an exquisite finish – and a decisive second goal that effectively killed off the game.