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Arnold v Long Eaton United - 15/9/2007 |
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Long Eaton made a couple of changes to todays squad with Micheal Buckley being injured and Josh Watts being rested with a groin injury.
United : Steve Smith, Adam Holmes, Paul McGinty, Mick Allsop, Matt Hallam, Marc Strzyzewski, Matt McCaul, David Wilkinson, Ben Roffey, Alex Steadman, Graham Fowkes.... Subs: Danny Beldham, Scott Downie, Craig Weston.
 Long Eaton started the game well with Ben Roffey winning the aerial battle with his opponent and creating chances for his strike partner Steadman. Long Eaton quickly settled into some flowing football and was creating goal scoring opportunities without being able to capitalise on them. Micky Allsop had 2 good chances from Graham Fowkes corners and brought saves out of the young Arnold keeper.
Fowkes himself had a couple of good opportunities after cutting inside from the left and getting a shot off at the Arnold goal. Whilst Long Eaton was having the lion’s share of the game, Arnold also had a few decent scoring opportunities. Ex Long Eaton player Dave Durrant was playing on the right side of midfield for Arnold and his pace took him past 3 Long Eaton players but his shot didn’t test Steve Smith. They also created a chance out of the offside rule when they played a straight ball over Long Eaton’s defence. With the Arnold strikers in an offside position their wide midfielder came storming through unmarked and only the bravery and quick thinking of Smith in the Long Eaton goal prevented a great goal scoring opportunity with a grounded tackle 18yards out.
The best opportunity of the half fell to Steadman. Roffey won his header and the ball fell to Steadman who closed down on the Arnold goal, he hit a powerful shot which came back off the post and fell to Marc Strzyzewski who hit a side foot volley which was again blocked on the line. The Blues had dominated the first half but had nothing for it
Half Time Score 0-0
 The second half again started well for LEUFC and a shot from Alex Steadman was saved by the keeper and the rebound fell to Fowkes who could not get the necessary power in his shot to hit the empty net. Again Long Eaton controlled the game but couldn’t turn it into goals. Then the blow came. A Long Eaton clearance fell to Clarke, the Arnold centre half who hit superb shot from 35yards. He hit it across Smith who stood no chance and Arnold took a one nil lead.
The game opened up and Long Eaton continued to play some good football a create chances. Ex LEUFC player Lee Sutton came on for Arnold and had a half chance to upset his former club but his well struck shot went over the cross bar.
Scott Downie came on to replace Wilkinson on the right hand side and could have scored with his first touch. From a corner he made good contact with his header and it fizzed narrowly wide. Freestone also had a great chance to increase Arnolds lead when his header from 6 yards out was completely mis-directed.
A groin injury to Allsop meant Strzyzewski went back to centre half  and Player/Manager Craig Weston took his place in the centre of midfield. Long Eaton were still playing good football and their breakthrough came when Alex Steadman ran at the Arnold goal and coolly rounded their keeper and slotted home. Weston cut inside from the right and hit a shot but it went high and wide.
Full Time Score 1-1
Steve Hamilton commented..." we should have won the game by some distance but we were pleased with the performance. Arnold had a few chances but you would expect any team to over 90mins. We had a dozen good chances and didn’t punish Arnold, if we had have taken our chances in the first half I am convinced we would have gone to town on them. Instead we had to hold our nerve and in the end come back to level the game. Their goal was a cracker and Clarkies celebration said he couldn’t believe it either!! It was a great goal but from our point of view that’s definitely 2 points dropped. We had similar amount of chances against Hallam and didn’t take them but today we were pleased with the way we played after they scored."
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