The Luffs can take positives from their latest defeat

LEICESTERSHIRE SENIOR LEAGUE DIVISION ONE LOUGHBOROUGH FC 0 BIRSTALL UNITED RESERVES 4 BY THIS stage of the season it is becoming the same old song but this wasn’t as bad as the score line suggests, but for a last ten minutes collapse The Luffs could have walked away with a respectable 1-0 defeat.

The Luffs played against the wind in the first half and didn’t do a bad job of defending their goal against Birstall’s wind assisted pressure.

The Loughborough keeper Brandon Holgate has a busy first half but he is a keeper in good form and kept the visitors at bay for long periods.

It took Birstall half an hour to crack the Loughborough defence and the ball bounced kindly for Liam Stafford to give his team a 1-0 lead. From then on the Luffs got to grips with the wind and the tricky surface and mounted their first few attacks of the half with Captain Jack Godkin leading the way forward.

Mayokun Okusanya battled his way into a shooting position for Loughborough but shot just wide and the first half produced just one goal which seemed a catchable target for the Luffs with the wind at their backs.

The second half began well with The Luffs on the attack and were disappointed not to be awarded a

penalty but such decisions do not go your way when you are at the bottom of the league and struggling.

Holgate was still being called upon and was down quickly at the feet of the Birstall forward Tom Langton and then tried his luck with a wind assisted keeper to keeper shot but the Birstall keeper Frazer Clarke judged the bounce well and showed a clean pair of hands.

Okusanya was brought down in full flight but nothing came from the resulting free kick but at this stage there was nothing much to choose between the sides and the Loughborough side fancied at least an equalising goal.

Rajiv Palmer put in a timely tackle to keep Birstall at bay while at the other end Xolni Megan warmed keeper Clarke’s hand with a rasping shot.

With 10 minutes to go the Loughborough side got over excited and went looking for the equalising goal and it cost them dearly.

Birstall’s Tom Langton three times took advantage of a threadbare Loughborough defence and helped himself to a hat trick of goals to put the issue well beyond doubt.

This Saturday the fixture is reversed and Loughborough travel to Birstall for a 3pm kick off.