LONG EATON UNITED 2-1 LYE TOWN: FULL MATCH REPORT...

Lye Troubled By ‘Black Sky’ Over Long Eaton’s ‘Blue Highway’

Long Eaton United 2-1 Lye Town

Tom Marshall was ‘The Light’ for United as the Blues overhauled a dour Town effort and secured three points during a damp, cold afternoon at Grange Park, on a pitch that a junior team had scored up a little during the morning. Long Eaton wasn’t quite as scenic as Colorado’s ‘Crested Butte’ but the surroundings here were more conducive to soccer than skiing in fairness. Lye had managed a gradual and tentative grip on the first-half, despite the fact that United had gone closer to scoring during the first 20 minutes or so. Ben Billingham and Sam Tye had been quite lively on offense for the visitors, supported by the whooping nightmare Scott ‘It’s The Dog’ Gennard but home ‘keeper James Mitchison hadn’t been called upon to make a real save, whereas Dean Coleman between the Lye sticks had done well to foil home skipper Paolo Piliero and then parry a deflection from a colleague, following unselfish play by the lean, mean Romaine Graham, Long Eaton’s long forward, who never stopped ‘Working On The Well’. Gennard fell under a Rob McCormick nudge, if it was even that, earning Town a penalty before the break which Billingham converted but the Blues fought back after the interval, with Alex Marshall being denied by a fine Coleman save, before Andy Todd’s penalty and Graham’s solo effort secured the victory for Gary Hamson’s changing squad. The game was tense until the end but despite the introduction of James Spray, nursing a hamstring twinge, the visitors were unable to snatch a point and ‘All Along The Watchtower’ of the Midland League Premier, news spread of Lye’s demise…

THE TOSSING PILIERO & JEVONS, THAT WELL KNOWN FIRM OF BOOKBINDERS...

Gennard had leapt from the team bus in spectacular, hip-wiggling style and I wondered whether he was already ‘One Toke Over The Line…’

MILLS IN TROUBLE...

Coleman plunged left into ‘Rural Space’ to keep out a 20 yard drive by Piliero in the opening exchanges and twice Graham was allowed to run at the visiting defence, although with little close support, the attacks fizzled out like sprayed ‘Weeds’ on the ‘Tarkio Road’. Sam Mills’ clumsy foul on Alex Marshall allowed brother Tom to shoot a free-kick but his trajectory was way too high from 22 yards, inside-left channel. Todd was finding space tough in the grafting areas of midfield but did manage to get Graham’s long Long Eaton legs rounding towards the right byeline, from whence a low delivery struck the beaverish Flyer Matt Johnson at the near post, forcing Coleman to thrust out a left glove and concede a corner. Tom Marshall’s shot following the flag-kick deflected off Tye and struck the upper arm of Jack Pearlman but there was clearly no intent to handle by the combative Town midfielder. Long Eaton midfielder Kallum Keane was then intriguingly cautioned for a foul, which seemed a little excessive on the part of a referee who lectured at will and on occasions prevented any possibility of the game flowing for both teams, who simply could not ‘Shake Off The Demon’ of this serious official.

COLEMAN HAS A BOGEY REMOVED FROM A FINGER...

PILIERO PLEADS: "KALLUM'S NOT DIRTY, REF, HE'S JUST KEANE..."

Lye had huffed and puffed up to this point but soon began to scrag some control of the proceedings, possibly due to a ‘Message From The Mission’, or rather from their vociferous coaches. The theatrical vocals of home defender Paul Lister were soon heard loudly as he defended a Lye free-kick well, then Long Eaton conceded a corner from Tye’s fine left-flank centre and the hosts panicked a good deal from that set-piece but McCormick held firm. A right-side corner by Piliero for the Blues led to the ball deflecting goalwards at the near upright off two Lye players, skipper Ben Jevons and then Johnson but Pearlman was on hand to hack the ball clear before crashing unlawfully into Tom Marshall and receiving a caution. A lifted boot by Todd then caught Billingham in the midriff area I believe; he yelled a lot and was treated by a physio’, although he was not made to leave the field for one play, which meant that he took the subsequent free-kick! Danny Brain nodded the set-piece behind for a corner but it seemed again a trifle harsh that Todd had been cautioned for the initial foul…

TOM MARSHALL TAKES A BREATHER...

McCormick then attempted to defend the rumbling Gennard as he forced his way into the penalty-box, the referee awarded a penalty but interestingly, I don’t believe McCormick was booked… Billingham rapped a low left-booted spot-kick beneath Mitchison’s dive to his left. Lye looked fairly comfortable by the interval’s arrival and it would need the Blues’ management team to ask ‘Where Do We Go From Here?’ Certainly Todd needed more freedom and after chatting with Gary Hamson’s son Davy at half-time, we agreed that there was not a good deal of width in United’s play but that chances were still being made. ‘Back To The Farm’, start again, ‘One By One’ the players would need to improve and maybe ‘Boomerang’ Long Eaton back into the contest. Lye needed to keep things going as they were and hope that Tye’s running and Billingham’s all round decent play could conjure a second goal and ‘Fly, Fly, Fly’ closer to league leaders Alvechurch, who have played more games than the Flyers.  

PILIERO SNIGGERS CUZ THE REF HAS GOT A FINGER STUCK BETWEEN THE SLATS OF A FENCE...

REF: "NO WORRIES, YOU CAN HAVE THE PHYSIO' BUT DON'T BOTHER TO GO OFF, CUZ I KNOW YOU WANT TO TAKE THE FREE-KICK..."

YELLOW CARD FOR TODD... 

GENNARD WINS A PENALTY...

...& STRIDES AWAY...

0-1: GOAL FOR LYE...

BILLINGHAM HAS NETTED THE PENALTY, SKIPPER JEVONS SEEMS PLEASED...

Immediately following the interval though, a lapse on the left side of the Lye defence suddenly saw Graham in ‘Rise Up Easy Rider’ mode and he robbed Alex Dallison, bulldozed past Adam Meacham to the end-line and slid a fine pass onto Alex Marshall’s left foot, just 3 yards from goal but the side-boot effort was brilliantly saved by Coleman who flung himself in front of the striker, the ball struck the custodian’s legs and rebounded for a corner. Following a Long Eaton free-kick, Josh Raven, again enjoying a rousing game at right-back, lifted a pass into the Lye 18 yard box where Graham’s long right leg stretched forth but could only lift his off-balance toppling effort over the crossbar from 15 yards. Then Gennard broke into a run at inside-right for Town and his 18 yard drive was on target but Mitchison fell right to save and moments later, Long Eaton capitalised. A miss can hurt a team but they feel it much worse ‘When The Truth Finally Comes’ and they quickly concede at the other end of the pitch…

SAME END, PENALTY TO LONG EATON...

Tom Marshall’s neat touches and intelligent runs had previously gone unrewarded but Todd is astute enough to find passes to thread and thus the veteran midfielder slipped a fine feed for Tom Marshall into the penalty-box where he fell under Dallison’s challenge to earn a penalty. Todd rapped the spot-kick straight down the middle and deep into the Lye net, leaving Coleman helpless. Long Eaton hugged their ‘Merciful Love’ for each other, Lye questioned what was going on and once again the guests needed to up their game. 

1-1...

THE SCORER?

HE'S ON HIS TODD...

A flicked pass by Gennard offered Billingham a 10 yard shot but under pressure from Brain, the forward’s shot trickled past the right post, before Piliero and the adventurous Lye right-back Dan Jones were fairly cautioned for a scuffle. And Long Eaton took the lead, courtesy of a punted pass by Raven. Graham, he of the rangy runs, the awkward gait and the sheer endeavour, got away from Meacham and rolled the ball left past the advancing Coleman. The ball was skittering towards the byeline and onto his unfavoured left side however but ‘Witchi-Tai-To’, Graham’s feet changed magically and he had just enough time to right-foot the ball into the empty net from a tight angle. The striker stood and awaited worship from his team-mates with a smile which said “Rock Me On The Water…”

2-1...

GRAHAM'S LONG LONG EATON LEGS HAVE MADE THE CHANCE...

...& HE HASN'T MISSED...

McCormick, whose foul had offered Lye their penalty, fouled Billingham almost on the 18 yard line and in his frustration he must have been thinking, “Got To Get Off The Island…” but he need not have worried, for despite Johnson’s shooting presence, Billingham clipped the ensuing free-kick past the right upright. Tom Marshall was cautioned and maybe that was deserved due to a few challenges he had made but Alex had somehow avoided the wrath of the official thus far. Todd’s fine break saw Graham slow the game down although Tom Marshall was in a great position at inside-right but then Piliero’s shot from 25 yards flew well wide. Tye had been replaced by James Spray, an inevitable change but full-back Jones soon drove in a shot from 25 yards which soared too high. Todd slipped a fine pass for Tom Marshall to latch onto at inside-right but Coleman fell right to make a decent save from the schemer’s right-boot shot and then “Oh Mommy…”, hard-working brother Alex took a break. Actually his mum was sitting in the grandstand, I believe…

ALEX: A HARDWORKING PERFORMANCE...

Shaun Rickford, solid as a brick shithouse, had replaced Alex Marshall and simply made a nuisance of himself but Spray managed a long shot off target as Lye struggled to breach the defensive prowess of Lister and McCormick, whose clearances were many. The two 14s joined the fray: Jermain Hollis for the Blues and Aaron Griffiths for Lye, replacing Keane and Johnson respectively, before a Brain shot was off target and Chris Henry replaced Pearlman for Town. Long Eaton were looking at the referee, probably thinking: “Seems Like A Long Time…” and suddenly Spray was offered the one opportunity he was hoping for. Another McCormick foul, a free-kick from the right by Billingham, a header back across goal by the towering Jevons but Spray’s close range header flew much too high.

Todd attempted a 25 yard shot when his coaches were probably aching for him to keep possession and when a run into his own penalty-box looked a danger, Tom Marshall did the defending without fouling an opponent, who fell hopefully to the turf. A few sorties by the Blues to a corner-flag to waste time, as spectators couldn’t face leaving, mumbling “Can’t Go Home…” and eventually, the match ended in disappointment for Lye, missing a few players but joy for Long Eaton, also missing a few players…

McCORMICK RECEIVES A WELL EARNED HUG AT THE END...

It was a close fought affair but in truth, Coleman was the busier goaltender and it was interesting that the Alvechurch contingent thought that Long Eaton deserved to win the match. Managers have to win to ‘Have A Good Life’ but after losing like this, to have video clips to watch on a Sunday means it’s ‘Too Soon Tomorrow’, I guess but ‘When Everybody Comes Home’ on the Lye bus, there’s no ‘Sleeping On The Way’ with the legendary Scotty Gennard nearby…

The 28 song titles and 2 album names which appear in the above report are by 1970s duo Brewer and Shipley, to whom I dedicate the above nonsense… A double CD of four of their albums has just been released at last. Hopefully, two more of their original albums will soon be released on CD too… 

This stuff is what I do…

TEAMS:

LONG EATON UNITED:

JAMES MITCHISON, JOSH RAVEN, DANNY BRAIN, PAUL LISTER, ROB McCORMICK, KALLUM KEANE, ANDY TODD, PAOLO PILERO (CAPT), ROMAINE GRAHAM, ALEX MARSHALL, TOM MARSHALL.

SUBS:

AARON COLE, JERMAIN HOLLIS, JORDAN DAKIN, SHAUN RICKFORD, SCOTT STANILAND.

LYE TOWN:

DEAN COLEMAN, DAN JONES, ADAM MEACHAM, JACK PEARLMAN, ALEX DALLISON, SAM MILLS, MATT JOHNSON, SCOTT GENNARD, SAM TYE, BEN BILLINGHAM, BEN JEVONS (CAPT).

SUBS:

JAMES SPRAY, AARON GRIFFITHS, CHRIS HENRY, BEN WILKINS, CRAIG HARRIS.