LRFC end year on a high

HINCKLEY’S Leicester Road FC ended 2018 on a high with a resounding 6-0 home win over Staffordshirebased Heath Hayes FC.

The Road dominated from start to finish and the goals (three in each half and including some Christmas crackers!) came from Nuno Gomes, Michael Tweed, Dom Brennan – both opening their account for LRFC - sub Ben Humphreys, plus a brace from skipper on the day, Callum Earls.

A cagey beginning suddenly sprang into life on 5 mins when Earls rose highest to a Tweed corner and powered his header home to open the scoring. It quickly set the tone and on 9 mins an excellent through ball from Brennan set up Gomes, but he drove just wide.

Then on 13 mins, Gomes turned provider and put Brennan clean through, but he was somehow foiled by the away keeper Jordan Harvey, who had a very good afternoon and stopped the game from being a complete rout for LRFC. Almost straight away he also thwarted Gomes after an excellent one-two with Liam Read (making his debut), while on 17 mins the Road had their first bit of defending to do when a short corner caused momentary panic in the home box.

Two minutes later, however, the Road were 2-0 up when Gomes won the ball 25 yards out on the left and instantly curled a delicious shot into the top corner, giving Harvey no chance. On 25 mins a Read curler from 20 yards shaved the post, but three mins later Harvey was again well beaten when Tweed chested down a poor clearance on the edge of the box and clinically volleyed into the bottom corner for a 3-0 lead.

So, it stayed till half time, although Road centre half Danny Jenno had another goal bound effort well divert- ed by Harvey, while Read was again denied by a fine save and Brennan’s rebound effort was somehow cleared off the line.

LRFC didn’t let up second half and Matt Langham’s expert hold up play set up Gomes early on but he fired over, while minutes later Langham was slid in by Brennan only for Harvey to push it wide again. He then got fingers on a blistering Langham drive from 12 yards, while on 61 mins Tweed also fired wide from a good position. Not to be denied, however, LRFC made it 4-0 when a cute turn in the box by Brennan enabled him to pick his spot.

Langham again had a good chance on 68 mins from a probing Read cross, but two minutes later it was 5-0 with a collector’s item - when Earls glided past two defenders with ease and with his normally weaker right foot curled an absolute beauty in from the edge of the box. Job done, a quieter period ensued, until the 85th minute when replacement Humphreys (on for Read) fired in another screamer from a full 30 yards out to make it 6-0 to LRFC.

Heath Hayes did get the ball in the net right on time, after a wicked deflection, but it was rightfully chalked off for offside. Next up for LRFC is a tough away game against long time MFL Div 1 leaders and local A5 rivals, Atherstone Town FC on Saturday 5th January, kick off 3pm.

Starting X1: Highland, Alcott, Earls ©, Jenno, Harrison, Charles, Tweed, Gomes, Read, Brennan, Langham. Subs: Blewitt (GK), Walters, Humphreys, Whitehouse, Green.