EASTWOOD CFC 4-3 LEICESTER NIRVANA

Eastwood CFC....4 (Parton 4' and 84', Nangle 18', Andrews 77')
Nirvana................3 (Lee 10' and 88', Barrow OG 57')

Red Badgers made to work hard but 3 points gained in the end.

Eastwood just about deserved the victory on the day after a tricky encounter with Nirvana who turned out to be stubborn opponents.

Leading scorer McKenna Parton started the ball rolling after just 4 minutes when he latched onto a slick pass from Moussa Cisse inside the area and unleashed a thunderbolt which left Jacob Wood clutching fresh air for 1-0. Minutes later Cisse produced some magic of his own as he danced into the box and produced a fine reflex save from Wood.

Eastwood were dominant in the early exchanges but all their good work was undone after 10 minutes when striker Eddie Lee, who led his line well all afternoon, latched onto a midfield mistake some 20 yards out. Bearing down on goal he unleashed a fine low drive which beat Mark Rathbone all ends up. An end to end affair and the home side regained the lead 18 minutes in. Cisse again tormented the Nirvana defence before his scuffed pass found strike partner Romello Nangle free in space and, after controlling a bouncing ball, he volleyed home past the desperate attempted defensive blocks of Tom Mason and Stephen Basheer.

No more than Eastwood deserved after their bright opening. Dean Freeman also went close with a header and Blair Anderson almost caught out Wood again after being put in down the right by Liam Hearn. Wood was certainly the busier of the 2 goalkeepers on show once again foiling Cisse's attempts to add to the home scoreline.

The second period started in the same vein with the Red Badgers pressing to consolidate and Nirvana intent on the counter attack. With only 2 second half minutes on the clock Hearn was desperately unlucky to see his shot rebound of a post after fine approach play from Ryan Ebanks down the right flank. Wood then was fortunate to hold onto a Nangle snap shot after 56.

Twelve minutes in and all the home effort was again undone as Nirvana equalised with a goal that could have been prevented. After a throw in on the left Skipper Will Gonga was somehow allowed to dance unopposed into the box. His low cross was accurate and cruelly found the outstretched boot of Jahren Barrow who could do nothing about the OG deflection into the roof of his own net. Tough on the big centre back who, along with his defensive partners, played well all day.

Undeterred by the setback the Red Badgers forward players were tormenting the visiting defence time and again with Anderson, Nangle and Cisse, prompted by the excellent Hearn giving Mason and company a torrid time. NIrvana showed added signs of competing with Stuart Lamont and Lee doing some good work as they battled to get something from the game and Gonga was becoming more and more influential as he drove his team mates forward.

On 70 minutes the save of the match. Wood denying Cisse with a smart tip over his bar. His goal, however, survived for only a few more minutes. Eastwood were awarded a free kick in central midfield. Sean Woolley produced a peach of a ball into the area which found skipper Jack Andrews adjacent to the far post. His powerful header was in the net before Wood to react and the lead was duly restored.

Livewire Cisse had a further chance to increase the lead on 82 but his shot rebounded to safety from the near post before Parton added the icing on the cake with his second of the game and his third in two games after a cute cut back from Hearn. Game over now but Lee had time to add to the scoresheet in stoppage time for the visitors third.

A good, competitive game enjoyed by a large crowd in the Autumn sunshine in which the home team, in the end, just about deserved.

Attendence ~ 172
Referee ~ Ian Ruddock
Assistants ~ Robin Bourne and Jude Brough

Eastwood CFC ~ Mark Rathbone, Ryan Ebanks, Jack Andrews (c) Dean Freeman, Jahren Barrow, Liam Hearn,
McKenna Parton, Sean Woolley, Moussa Cisse (Finn Hunter 86')Blair Anderson (Jermaine Hollis 66') Romello Nangle,
Unused substitutes ~ David Leak, Lewis Scott and Caden McGrath.
Cautions ~ Parton (63' foul)

Leicester Nirvana ~ Jacob Wood, Chad Timson, Stephen Basheer, Hakim Nyariki (Omar Jagne 89') Tom Mason, Michael Akinunde, Suhaib Gannan, Reece Giles, Eddie Lee, Will Gonga (Kalli Gore 91') Stuart Lamont.
Unused substitutes ~ Aniyah King, Dean Master and Luis Parry.
Cautions ~ Nyariki (74' foul and 79' dissent sin bin)