Linby have lost in their quest to win the CMFL Challenge Cup for this season after losing 2-1 after extra time away to local rivals Hucknall Town, writes Kieran Booker.
The home side took the lead through Jaylee Hodgson before Lewis Weaver equalised for Linby. Defender Kajally Danso then broke Linby hearts when he fired in a winner in the first half of extra time.
It was Hucknall who started the brightest on a chilly afternoon at Watnall Road and they nearly took the lead after 7 minutes through a Ricki Saxby shot which was tipped over by Jamie Davies. Linby had Davies to thank again three minutes later when he was able to stop another long range effort from Jordan Phillips.
The home side continued to force Linby deep into their own half for long spells during the first half but Linby’s defence kept their concentration and patience and Davies continued to make spectacular dives.
The yellows thought they had taken the lead following Davies’ only minor slip in a man of the match performance. The keeper fumbled the ball after a shot from close range and Hucknall were able to tap it in on the line but unfortunately the linesman had been flagging for offside the whole time and Linby’s number one had his blushes saved.
A minute later and Linby had their first real chance of the match. Lewis Weaver was able to use his pace to race through on a Linby break away but unfortunately the striker could only fire his shot just wide of Hucknall’s right post.
Just after the half hour mark Linby’s tough defences finally broke. The ball was lingering around the Linby box, it was played out to the right wing where it was swung back in to the centre and an attempted clearing header could only deflect to Jaylee Hodgson in the area. The Monserrat international was able to smash the ball home.
The striker nearly doubled his tally four minutes later when he fired a powerful shot from the edge of the box. Unsurprisingly it was stopped by yet another Jamie Davies diving save.
As the half came to an end Linby started to feel more comfortable on the ball and they were very nearly level in stoppage time. Kye Pilmore was able to break away for Linby after being played through 1v1 on the keeper but the winger fired his shot wide of the post.
The second half was a much more equal affair and Linby showed real fight to get themselves back into the match. It took until just before the 70 minute mark before Lewis Weaver was able to latch on to a through ball to the left side of the box. The striker didn’t hesitate to bury it in the opposite corner.
The young player nearly got another soon after as his side went on the search for an immediate winner. He was yet again able to drive down the left side to meet a through ball but this time took too long on the ball and was tackled before he could get a shot away in the area.
With extra time looming both sides threw everything forward especially as neither side would have wanted to have played an extra thirty minutes in the bitter cold. Adam Nelson caused premature celebrations in the Hucknall crowd as he got a shot away from close range which flew narrowly past the post. Then with seconds remaining, Tom Coupe got Linby’s hearts racing as he too had a shot fly wide from close range.
Hucknall had the best chances of the chances during the first half of extra time. Kajally Danso gave Linby a wake up call when he was left unmarked on the edge of the box but the defender could only fire wide of Davies’ right. Linby’s defenders then had to clear the ball off the line after Jamie Davies got caught chasing the Hucknall attack to the edges of his box.
The home side eventually made the most of their dominating spell as they grabbed a goal just before the extra time half way point. The ball kept being pushed into the Linby box before eventually falling to defender Danso who managed to hit the back of the net.
Linby pushed on in an attempt to get back into the game but with tiring legs setting in chances for both sides became limited. Aidy Harris had the away sides’ best chance of an equaliser when he brought the ball down on the edge of Hucknall’s box but could only fire over.
With time running out and Hucknall content with just holding on to the ball, it was the home side who nearly scored again. In the last minute of extra time Adam Nelson fired a header over after being inches in front of the goal line.
After the game, Linby manager Lewis Saxby said “Gutted for the lads today, they put in a huge effort. The first half performance wasn’t anywhere near the standards we’ve started to set at our club but the second half was superb.” He went on to say “I feel the way we started to play after the break we could have even pinched it but unfortunately we lost the game to a good strike”.
