Long Preston FC - Match Reports

Match Report Archive 2...

Devonshire Carpets Craven and District Football League Division 3

Sat. 4th October 2008

Long Preston FC 4 – 4 Earby Town FC Reserves

Long Preston - Dugdale; Porter, Rodgers, Newhouse, East; Marshall, J Bland, Sharpe(c),H Bland; Keane Attewell, Snape.

Subs; Green, Lambert, North

Scorers: Bland 2, Sharpe, Snape

Man of the Match: Bland

Long Preston lost their 100% start to the season in an eventful draw with Earby Town Reserve, but still came away satisfied that a weakened line up had shown character to come from behind twice times and force a draw.

Long Preston got off to a blistering start in wet and

windy conditions at Hellifield’s Thorndale Street

ground when Jack Bland was fouled in the box and

got up to net the resulting penalty, firing easily past

the keeper. However this bright start was pegged

back when some sloppy work at the back was

punished with and Earby equaliser.

Before too long, Long Preston were back in front with

Bland again on the score sheet, scoring the kind of

spectacular goal that is quickly becoming his trademark.

The move started with his brother Harry racing down

the right hand side, playing a one-two with his sibling

before feeding it into Snape who showed a delightful

touch and awareness to backheel the ball into Jack’s path, who beat two before sliding home. However the lead wasn’t to last long, with Earby fighting back with a second equaliser on half time to take it into the break all square.

Long Preston looked shell-shocked by the equalising goal, and a sluggish start saw them quickly fall behind for the first time in the match. The home side tried to force the issue, with the irrepressible Sharpe at the centre of everything striking the bar with a long range effort. The goal finally came, not in the prettiest of circumstance from a goal mouth scramble but they all count and Long Preston were level again.

Just as the game looked to be drifting toward a draw, Earby struck what looked to be a winner with 5 minutes to go. However, they didn’t count on Long Preston’s attitude and determination, not to mention a little bit of quality, being able to rescue a point at the end through Snape's 30 yard screamer flying in off the post to bring a fantastic game to a fair conclusion.

Match Report by Kris Attewell and David Robertshaw.

Devonshire Carpets Craven and District Football League Division 3

Sat. 25th October 2008

Colne FC Juniors 0 – 2 Long Preston FC

Long Preston - Dugdale; Rodgers (Windle), Newhouse, Attewell, East; Marshall, Mounsey, Sharpe(c), Patchett(Green); J Bland, H Bland (Thompson).

Subs; Green, Windle, Thompson

Scorers: Mounsey, Thompson

Man of the Match: Newhouse

LongPreston got back on the victory trail after two successive defeats to First Division opposition in the cups in recent weeks.

The game started in terrible conditions with heavy wind and rain meaning neither team could get a foothold. Perhaps because of this, the first half was quite even, with Colne’s young side trying to use the advantage of playing downhill on their big sloping pitch. Three times they forged openings without actually having a shot on target. The away side slowly got used to the conditions underfoot and overhead, Long Preston’s pressure down both flanks causing problems and leading to corners which were sadly wasted. The closest the game came to a goal in the first half was when a 20yd free kick from Colne clipped the outside of the frame of Dugdale’s goal.

LongPreston took control of the game after the break, with the rain ceasing and the slope now in their favour. Five minutes in East took a throw in just inside the final third to the feet of Mounsey who had two touches and hit a powerful shot past the keeper from 25 yards. Colne searched for a leveller and got in behind the away defence a few times, once bringing a good tip round the post from Dugdale. However, the more they searched for the equaliser, the more exposed they became to te counter. The ball was nicked by the Long Preston defence in the box, played through midfield to J Bland who went on a run into the opposition area in typical style, drawing the keeper and laying off to substitute Thompson to slot into an empty net on his debut. After that the game became niggly, with Colne young players taking their frustration out on the Long Preston players with a number of poor challenges. Both sides complained in earnest to the ref who booked 2 colne players and Sharpe from LP for dissent.

Luckily, before things could get out of hand, the game was brought to a close with a moral boosting victory in tough conditions. Long Preston are back on track.

Match Report by Russell East.

Devonshire Carpets Craven and District Football League Division 3

Sat. 15th November 2008

Earby Town Reserves FC 2 – 3 Long Preston FC

Long Preston - Dugdale; Rodgers, Newhouse, Attewell, East (Porter); Green (Windle 70), Sharpe (c), Mounsey, Marshall; Snape, H Bland

Subs; Porter, Windle,

Scorers: Snape, H Bland, Marshall.

Man of the Match: Newhouse

LongPreston kept their promotion push going thanks to a real game of two halves, and two fightbacks, against Earby in Colne. The first half was very tight with most of the play in a congested midfield and neither defence being stretched, meaning few chances were created. The closest we came to a goal was when Mounsey showed his shooting skills again, crashing a 25yard free kick against the bar. The game was fractious, with players becoming frustrated at the lack of space and time on the ball, Marshall being one of the victims of an off the ball incident with the Earby perpetrator booked by the referee, who did well to keep a lid on things.

In stark contrast to the first half, the second saw some good play by both teams with five goals into the bargain. Long Preston struck first, with Snape smashing a header home following Bland’s flick on of Marshall’s corner. Long Preston really began to play some good stuff and went two up. Sharpe picked out Marshall in space down the right, he drove forward and played a low ball into the middle where H Bland, doing a sterling impression of his absent goalscoring brother, beat the defender to the ball to poke home.

The two goals seemed to spark Earby into life as Long Preston sat back and invited pressure. Hey put together a few good moves, hinting that a goal could be on the way. The warning was not heeded, and following a quick throw, a deep cross into the box was missed by East and headed home. Earby sensed a point was on the cards and kept the pressure on, with Attewell and Newhouse standing firm in the face of several corners and crosses into the box. However, Earby forced one corner two many and finally broke the stubborn Long Preston resistance with a fine near post header.

Earby now looked destined to find the winner, with Dugdale called upon to make two excellent one-on-one stops to deny them. However, just as both sides seemed to be settling for the draw, Long Preston were to have the last laugh. Marshall was once again released in space down the right by Mounsey and his mis-hit cross looped agonisingly over the goalkeeper’s head and into the net with just a few minutes on the clock.

Match Report by Russell East.