Easy win for LRFC in first game

Continued from Back Page Then, with no lead for their efforts Studley came into the game and Highland was forced to make a string of saves to keep it 0-0 at half time. LRFC began the second period with a renewed spring in their step however and never let up to dominate the half. On 49 mins a deft cross from Earls after a blocked corner set Langham up from 5 yards and he buried the header. On 53 mins the skipper grazed the bar with a bullet header as the Road ramped up the pressure and on 57 mins Munton picked the ball up on the edge of the box and swivel turned to crack a fine shot into the bottom corner for a 0-2 lead. Studley did have a decent chance on 65 mins, but their striker scuffed his shot, and on 70 mins some fine interplay between Munton and Langham teed up Read and he smashed the third in off the underside of the bar from 18 yards. Substitute Nuno Gomes controlled expertly with his chest on 80 mins and fired a volley just over, but a minute later it was 0-4 when Earls won the ball on half way and weaved his way past four Studley defenders to calmly slot past the keeper. The powerful Studley centre forward, Odane Barnes, who’d been a handful all match, did get one final chance on 85 mins, but his 25 yard pile driver was expertly tipped over by Highland to maintain the clean sheet. LRFC starting X1: Highland (GK,) Ncube, Hohn, Earls (C), Hollis, Hirst, Burrows, King, Munton, Read, Langham. Subs: Perkins (GK), Beasley, Whitehouse, Charles, Gomes. Midweek meanwhile, LRFC went down 2-1 to Nottingham Forest U23s in a poignant preseason finale in memory of the Reds’ former youth coach John Perkins. Two well worked and free flowing moves from Forest in a dominant first half ensured it was they who lifted the John Perkins Memorial Trophy – despite the torrential rain – in a game that ‘JP’ himself would have enjoyed. However, the Road were much better in the second period and pulled back a deserved goal from striker Liam Read, to setup a nervy end for the visitors after an absorbing and testing contest. The match was organised by LRFC manager Neil Lyne, who first played for JP in 1987 (aged 17) at Leicester United FC and then made the move with him to Brian Clough’s Nottingham Forest in 1989. After 10 successful years at Forest, JP spent another memorable 10 seasons at Wolves FC, followed by shorter stints at Derby County and Portsmouth before settling in at Stoke City as senior Academy coach in 2011 and becoming a firm favourite there too - before his life tragically ended, aged just 69, in October 2016.