Smash and grab defeat for LRFC
HINCKLEY’S Leicester Road FC slipped to a disappointing 1-0 home defeat to Paget Rangers on the opening day of the MFL 20181019 season.
A smash and grab 83rd minute goal for the North Birmingham side was all that separated the teams after the full 90 minutes – and try as they may LRFC couldn’t fashion an equaliser.
It was a cautious opening by both sides, with a few half chances each during the first half hour, but on 31 mins LRFC keeper Will Highland made an excellent, point blank save to keep the scores level – and so it stayed until half time.
Roshan Mall replaced the injured Amarvir Sandhu at the start of the second half - and his trickery and quick feet further troubled the stubborn and well marshalled Paget defence.
On 65 minutes Leicester Road thought they had taken the lead, when a quick free kick by Nick Hawkins found Joseph Lyne, who took the ball on his chest before half volleying it past the advancing keeper - only to be harshly adjudged offside by the linesman.
With 15 mins remaining it only looked like LRFC would find a winner though – and Callum Rudd replaced Hawkins for some fresh legs and an attacking change of formation – but with just seven mins remaining Paget centre forward Phipps nipped in to seal all three points. He latched onto a hopeful long ball and scuffed his shot across Highland, with it agonisingly hitting the inside of the post before crawling over the line.
LRFC continued to throw everything at Paget, with Lyne coming close after neat, creative play on the edge of the box saw his fierce shot fly centimetres wide. There were also two match winning blocks by Paget defenders late on, putting their bodies on the line against goal bound strikes from Earls and Mall – and they very cleverly slowed the game up and run down the clock to just get over the line and take all three points.
Starting X1: Highland, Acton, Alcott, Hawkins, Earls, Harrison, Walters, Lyne, Sandhu, Gomes, Langham. Subs: Blewitt (GK), Rudd, Mall, Whitehouse, Humphreys.