SPORTING KHALSA 5-0 LONG EATON UNITED: FULL MATCH REPORT...

Bare Bones Blues Crash At Much Changed Khalsa

Sporting Khalsa 5-0 Long Eaton United

Both teams had changed considerably since their recent matches against Westfields and Lye Town respectively, with Khalsa having lost Bannister to Rushall on Monday, whilst skipper Robinson, left-back Jackson, plus Lawley and Franco were also missing. Long Eaton were using yet another goalkeeper, so Mitchison was missing, along with right-back Raven, stalwart central defender McCormick, striker Graham and midfielder Hollis, as well as player/assistant manager Rickford. Indeed, Blues’ boss Gary Hamson was even forced to field a 17 year old loanee goalkeeper as an outfield substitute during this match. 

I have to comment that it was sad to see Khalsa manager Ian Rowe still distraught about his team’s exit from the FA Vase on Saturday, for he felt that his team didn’t perform on the day. They certainly erased some of the hurt against Long Eaton, who were as awful during an abject second period as they had been competitive during the first. Admittedly, both central defenders departed the action after half-time, with Paul Lister a real miss, but the four goal capitulation during the second-half involved some careless play and ineptitude against a keen and quick Khalsa outfit who certainly gobbled up what was offered to them. Five different scorers embarrassed Long Eaton and one only had to cast a glance at Mr Hamson on the touchline, who looked forlorn, helpless and without any opportunity to fix a desperate second period of inadequacy.

GARY HAMSON: BARELY MOVED ALL EVENING...

An early left-side free-kick by Bekir Halil for Sporting took a touch off a colleague but drifted for a goal-kick then the awkward, deceptive and magnificently named Yusifu Ceesay rapped a fine 20 yard shot which forced tall Blues’ ‘keeper Matt Cottrell to leap right and turn the ball away for a corner. Quite suddenly however, Long Eaton’s Blair Anderson, whose abilities were not fully utilised by the team’s tactics on the night, struck a 22 yard shot which surprised standing home glove-man Tom Turner and the ball spun off his palms past his right upright. No hint of a goal was imminent though as Khalsa left-back Jonny Haynes (not the Fulham and England legend…) swung a deep left-boot free-kick across from the right flank, for the ball’s trajectory took it beyond the far post. Home skipper Shawn Boothe didn’t give up on it however and stretched his neck to beat Kallum Keane’s jump, sending in a downward header from virtually on the byeline. The ball bounced up ridiculously and surprised Cottrell who could only flap a mitten at it as it struck the roof of the net. 

1-0...

...SCORED BY SKIPPER BOOTHE...

Danny Brain could get no purchase on a trademark low shot from the left following a one-two, as Eaton countered, another right-side free-kick by Haynes bounced on the Blues’ crossbar and a free-kick by Anderson at the opposite end took a touch off a stray boot and Turner fell right to capture the shot. Simeon Townsend, leading the offensive line for Khalsa with some energy, fed Ceesay but it was midfielder Mike Perks’ shot which fizzed well wide of the right stick from 23 yards. Dave Meese miscued from Ceesay’s feed before the guests began to close the ranks a little and prevent their hosts from breaking with ease. Indeed, several chances came their way too but all of them were scorned, most through inaccuracy but one through what is known as misfortune, which Turner would be relieved about…

ANDERSON PREPARES TO TAKE A FREE-KICK...

First Lister rose to head a corner by Aaron Hall too high, before Andy Todd, not at his most creative on the night, went really close to restoring parity for his team. Turner raced from goal to kick the ball clear but he only found Todd on his tod, 45 yards from goal and the midfielder leaned back to volley a shot which had Turner scrambling backwards for and it appeared that the ‘keeper was hoping to catch the ball as it bounced up on the 6 yard line. However, it bounced over him and lobbed onto the face of the crossbar, allowing Turner to recover… Brain and skipper Paolo Piliero combined to feed the hardworking Alex Marshall inside the penalty-box but Boothe did well to block the striker’s shot, an Aaron Hall cross saw Alex Marshall shoot a goal from an offside position and after the rather quiet Tom Marshall had defended well for Long Eaton, brother Alex set up Todd from a good position but his volley flew just over the target. Anderson tried to pass the ball for Todd to run onto but Turner advanced to grab the loose ball, then Tom Marshall was cautioned.

TODD & HAYNES...

LISTER (4) HAD HIS WORK CUT OUT ALL GAME...

Cottrell saved Luke Shearer’s near post drive before the ailing Ceesay was replaced just before the break by Fabrice Kasiama. The interval reached, I guess that Long Eaton, despite the fact that Tom Marshall and Todd were not controlling matters effectively enough, might have been level. The goal conceded had been avoidable, even flukey but there had been more attitude from Khalsa, whose quickness and physicality had forced the pace thus far. Ceesay would be a loss for the hosts and yet one could not have anticipated how Long Eaton’s performance would fade into such obscurity after their cups of tea and chicken tikka paninis… (Not really…)

YUSIFU REALISES THAT HIS BOOT IS BLEEDING...

...& IS TOO DISTRESSED TO CARRY ON...

Before the guests could resettle after half-time, Haynes’ ability to chuck long throws caused mayhem twice in the Blues’ defence. The second of them from the right, left Piliero unable to prevent Townsend from simply jumping to nod the ball into the far corner of the net beyond Cottrell. After a low Scott Staniland drive was held at the second attempt by Turner, Townsend was cautioned for nudging the ball from Cottrell’s hands but soon a costly error was capitalised upon by Sporting and in truth, a drained Long Eaton troop appeared to lose all hope. 

"BLESS YOU MY SON... SAY 3 HAIL LEEDS UNITEDS  & YOU'LL BE FINE..."

2-0...

HEADER BY TOWNSEND...

A poor clearance, I think by Keane, was collected by the lively Marvin Nisbett who was generally well marked by Brain and he switched the ball towards the edge of the 18 yard box for Shearer to take neatly and turn towards the right side of the penalty-area, taking on Lister. Shearer’s low cross went straight onto the totally unmarked Kasiama’s boot just 2 yards out and Long Eaton’s Blues were considerably heavier…

3-0...

KASIAMA!

Perks took a break, Matt Martin replaced him and Kasiama rapped a volley across the penalty-box as Khalsa looked so much more physical than their ailing guests. Shearer got clear to slip a low shot past the advancing Cottrell into the bottom right corner of the net and then Long Eaton escaped a penalty claim when Brain’s shove on Kasiama looked a little dodgy but the Blues attacked from that incident and Scott Staniland’s low shot was saved by Turner. Martin hacked Piliero down to earn a caution, a short Long Eaton free-kick led to a frustrated Tom Marshall rapping a shot from 25 yards which flew wide of the right upright and at the other end, Haynes played a one-two but drove a 16 yard shot over Cottrell’s goal-frame. A fifth goal was a blow to the guests who now had Jordan Dakin on the pitch, as well as ‘keeper Lewis Walker, for Lister and Keane had departed the scene. Walker played in attack but Anderson’s frustrated and disbelieving demeanour summed up his club’s evening.

NISBETT COVERS A LATE RUN BY ANDERSON, WHOSE CROSS DROPPED BEHIND THE GOAL-FRAME...

Haynes’ left-flank free-kick saw Meese win a header against Alex Marshall, who had actually filled in as a defender rather well and there was home replacement Aaron Perrin, on for Townsend, to beat Cottrell to the loose ball, caress it past him and roll it over the goal-line. Oh dear… Anderson then lifted a frustrated, subsequently wayward shot somewhere into the Noose Lane night and the game ended with me having to wait at the nearby level-crossing for three trains to go by…

TURNER TAKES A LATE TUMBLE...

Both Khalsa full-backs were athletic and uncompromising, like ferrets up a trouser leg and although midfielders Meese and Perks were quiet on occasions, the offensemen Nisbett, Townsend, Ceesay, Shearer, Kasiama and finally Perrin had the presence and running power to continually unsettle the Long Eaton defence. Sporting took their goals clinically and at the right time, whereas the Blues failed to do just that. Todd was in and out of the game for the visitors, as was Anderson but the forward does have neat feet and can be a real danger. The Marshalls worked darned hard, no doubt about it but Tom found controlling the game from midfield beyond him on the night and in fairness, brother Alex was rarely given a clear view of goal by his colleagues. Piliero featured busily on some occasions, Staniland less so but defensively the team looked unstable, bar Brain’s attitude, like that of a coyote at its prey as usual and he was a positive for Mr Hamson on offensive forays too…

In truth, Khalsa burned their FA Vase bridge, whereas Long Eaton suffered a setback in the construction of their new pontoon…

And why didn’t Mr Rowe bring on Mihai-Valerio Gherasim, if only to liven up my report? Thanks for that…

TEAMS:

SPORTING KHALSA:

TOM TURNER, BEKIR HALIL, JONNY HAYNES, SHAWN BOOTHE (CAPT), JOE ROGERS, MIKE PERKS, MARVIN NISBETT, DAVE MEESE, SIMEON TOWNSEND, LUKE SHEARER, YUSIFU CEESAY.

SUBS:

MATT MARTIN, FABRICE KASIAMA, TESFA ROBINSON, AARON PERRIN, MIHAI-VALERIO GHERASIM.

LONG EATON UNITED:

MATT COTTRELL, AARON COLE, DANNY BRAIN, PAUL LISTER, KALLUM KEANE, TOM MARSHALL, ANDY TODD, PAOLO PILIERO (CAPT), BLAIR ANDERSON, ALEX MARSHALL, SCOTT STANILAND. 

SUBS:

JORDAN DAKIN, LEWIS WALKER, JAMES MITCHISON.