Double fightback keeps Leicester Road at right end of the table
HINCKLEY’S Leicester Road FC secured an impressive 2-5 away win at Lichfield City FC to maintain their third position in Midlands Football League 1.
While the first half was probably a bit more competitive, LRFC were much the better side as the game wore on and showed their class second half to run out worthy winners.
Lichfield did start well, however, with Forde powering home a looping Evans corner early on to open the scoring.
But it spurred the Road into action and they tested the Lichfield keeper Jenkins several times as he made tremendous saves from LRFC skipper Greg Downes, Jake Holt and Callum Rudd in quick succession.
The relentless Road pressure told however and Amarvir Sandhu (on a trademark mazy run) was tripped in the box for the second consecutive match - and Matty Langham slotted home the resultant spot kick for his 18th goal of the season. 1-1 at half time.
LRFC came out of the traps like men possessed for the second half with three near misses in as many minutes – firstly Sandhu cleverly nipped in between defender and keeper but just couldn’t squeeze in from the tight angle; then Jordan Burrows was centimetres from latching onto a flash cross from Sandhu from four yards out with the keeper nowhere, plus Holt saw a rasping drive shave the outside of the post.
Soon after, however, with Lichfield clearly rattled Holt pounced on a loose pass across the penalty area from their full back Mansell to make it 1-2.
Then good dribbling skills again from Sandhu bought him enough time to fire home from the edge of the box for a 1-3 lead.
Lichfield did rally when the marauding Mansell atoned for his earlier mistake with a pinpoint cross to set up striker Green, who duly made it 2-3, but LRFC soon restored their two goal advantage when neat approach play by Sandhu down the left resulted in a pull back that skipper Greg Downes hammered past the substitute Lichfield keeper for his 23rd of the campaign.
The Road continued to press and dominate possession and territory and the fifth goal was coming when a searching, drilled cross from an overlapping Jarred Acton was diverted into his own net by lunging Lichfield defender Black.
The home side did have a late effort on goal by Evans, but the strong left hand of Road stop- per Will Highland kept it out for a comfortable enough 2-5 away victory.