UCL RESULT ~ SELSTON 2-1 EASTWOOD CFC

Selston FC..............2 Laister 17', Marriot-Lane 30')
Eastwood CFC.......1 (Wilson 64')

Red Badgers disappoint on the road.

Eastwood started like a house on fire in their latest outing at the Parish Hall Ground. Both Kamani Wilson and Ben Henderson hitting the woodwork with only minutes on the clock.

Selston is always a tricky place to go and the home team powered forward with Jack Cockram feeding Ben Moore early doors to lay down a marker. Moore’s effort just cleared Warren Squires goal.

After just 11 minutes a Joe Harrison free kick some twenty-two yards out forced home ‘keeper Joe Fryatt into a good save as he turned the ball round for a corner. From the resultant kick Wilson saw his header cleared of the line by veteran defender Perry Marriott-Lane.17 minutes into tthe contest and the home side went ahead. Jacob Sturgess bought down Jay Payling out wide right which earned the Eastwood skipper a deserved booking. Ollie Grimshaw delivered a perfect ball into the box and Tom Laister scored with a deft header for the lead.

The game began to liven up with both sides creating decent openings only punctuated by Selston players hitting the floor theatrically every time they saw a challenge coming. Unsportsmanlike to the nth degree according to some neutral observers.. Mr Murray did not seem to agree and dished out three bookings to Eastwood players in the first half.

30 minutes on the clock and the home lead was doubled. Always eager to join his attackers Cockram made speedy progress down the right ending with a fine accurate cross into the area. Marriott- Lane escaped any defensive marking and the ex-Pinxton man headed home.

Minutes later a superb free kick from Harrison beat Fryatt all ends up but rebounded into play off the crossbar. Selston were certainly not playing like a bottom three side and another fine effort from Jordan Black almost increased the home lead. 2-0 at the break was hardly a true refection on the game as a whole as both sides were pretty well matched apart from the scoreline. Defensive frailties and the inability to finish off half chances were once again Eastwood’s Achilles heel.

Black continued to cause nuisance and Squires had to be alert to keep out the home striker. After Harrison had another free kick saved Eastwood pulled a goal back. McKenna Parton slipped a fine ball into the path of Wilson as he made progress into the Selston box. His low shot was hard, straight and true as the ball flew in underneath Fryatt’s body.

The visitors upped their game in an attempt to gain some foothold an should have been level after 70. Henderson produced some magic down the left leaving Cockram floored. His low cross was inviting but there were no takers and the desperate home defence cleared the danger.

The Parishioners were hanging on now and the game see-sawed one way then the other before Mr Murray called a halt to proceedings.

Another sub-standard display from the Red Badgers who continue to flatter to deceive. Costly defensive errors have marred their game in the past few weeks coupled with a seemingly inability to create hardly anything of goal scoring note in the last third.

Next up is a difficult trip to Anstey (Saturday 16th) before the Bank Holiday Monday game away at Heanor Town.

Attendance ~ 109

Referee ~ William Murray
Assistants ~ Mick Newton and Nicky Lees

Selston FC ~ Joe Fryatt, Jack Cockram, Taylor Conway, Perry Marriott-Lane, George Wilkinson, Tom Laister, Ollie Grimshaw (Callum Moore 82') Ben Moore (C) Jordan Black, Jay Cooper, Jake Payling (Patrick Quinn 82')
Substitute not used ~ Sonny Shaw.
Cautions ~ Cockram (65' dissent) Marriott-Lane (90' foul)

Eastwood CFC~ Warren Squires, Harrison Eastwood (Ayleal Dill 45') Jacob Sturgess (C) Louis Anthony, Ellis Chambers, Joe Harrison, Kyle Wrenn, Ben Henderson (Isaac Morledge 78') Jack Messom (Connor Wrenn 89') Kamani Wilson.
Substitutes not used ~ Rob Osborne and Victor Lusuku.
Cautions ~ Sturgess (15' foul), Anthony (40' foul) Wilson (43' foul), Dill (90' foul)