LRFC leave it late to salvage a point
Leicester Road grab a point late in the day
HINCKLEY’S Leicester Road FC got a deserved point away at Chelmsley Town, despite going down to 10 men for the second consecutive game – and leaving it very late!
It ended all square at 1-1 with striker Matty Langham converting a 92nd minute penalty, after captain Marlon Walters was unluckily dismissed after a second yellow card on 66 mins.
LRFC manager Neil Lyne gave debuts to three new signings – centre back Danny Jenno from Coalville Town and previously Barwell, forward Jak Jeyes (ex- Bedworth United) and young midfielder Michael Tweed, on a month’s loan from Nuneaton Borough.
They all slotted in well too, with Jennno a commanding presence at the back, Tweed showing some silky touches in the middle of the park and livewire Jeyes very busy upfront, although on another day he could perhaps have grabbed a hat-trick.
The Road started very well and on 3 mins Jack Harrison grazed the bar with a fierce shot and shortly after Callum Earls had a header cleared off the line with the home keeper nowhere. Harrison also just failed to get a finishing toe on a lovely Callum Rudd cross on 10 mins.
However, on 12 mins Chelmsley finally got a foothold in the game when Earls was dispossessed 35 yards out and their alert forward Wade smashed it first time into the top right corner over a retreating Will Highland in the LRFC goal.
Highland made amends minutes later when flinging a firm hand to a shot heading for the top left hand corner, but then the Road got back on top again and did everything but score before half time – although one Chelmsley corner did cause a mad scramble before clearing.
Jeyes had decent chances on 32 mins when clever approach play down the left put him in on goal, but he slightly overran it; plus 38 mins when he drew a fine save from an acute angle after a defence splitting pass from Tweed and on 44 mins when just firing over. 0-1 at half time.
The Road began the second period very well too, with Jeyes again only centimetres away from converting a long ball. Simon Alcott at right wing back was also making lots of good runs for the Road and he had a shot well saved on 51 mins and on 60 mins saw an inviting cross across the box evade the toes of no less than three lunging LRFC players.
Chelmsley were being restricted to a few shots from long distance and one headed attempt from a free kick, but on 66 mins they got their moment of fortune with Walters (who had been booked for dissent in the first half ) stumbling into an opponent rather than properly fouling him, but still earning a second yellow and red from the over-zealous referee.
It seemed to galvanise the Road more, however, and they continued to lay siege to the Chelmsley goal and on 74 mins a long throw caused panic in the home defence and Jeyes struck the loose ball sweetly enough – only for it to cannon off a prostrate defender on the goal line for a corner.
Highland was a virtual spectator for the rest of the game as the home team seemed content trying to protect their slender lead, with further Road efforts from Jeyes and Jenno narrowly wide on 75 and 79 mins respectively. Then on 87 mins Chelmsley saw red for a second bookable offence – although LRFC bizarrely had to remind the referee he’d already booked the offending player – and sensing their vulnerability the Road almost won it on 90 mins when Jeyes was thwarted by a fine save.
They were not to be denied, however and on 92 mins Langham was clipped in the box and he duly buried the penalty, while on 95 mins Leicester Road almost won it at the death when a Jenno header was frantically cleared off the line.
It may only have been a point in the end, but it moves LRFC back up to fourth place in MFL Division 1, with the highly anticipated visit of second placed Racing Club Warwick to the Leicester Road Stadium this Saturday (8th December), kick off 3pm.
Starting X1: Highland, Alcott, Rudd, Earls, Jenno, Harrison, Walters©, Tweed, Gomes, Jeyes Langham. Subs: Blewitt (GK), Humphreys, Whitehouse, Green.