Linby managed to light up a frosty Friday night by blazing to victory against Southwell City. An early Aidy Harris goal was the difference between the sides at the break before goals from Kye Pilmore, Lewis Weaver and a last minute Tom Coupe strike sealed the away victory, reports Kieran Booker
The Colliery side were coming into the league fixture on the back of a run which garnered only one win in the last five outings, a run of form the team were keen to put right. They showed that eagerness straight from kick off and after only 6 minutes they thought they had taken the lead. The ball was put in the back of the net but the linesman had already long had his flag up for offside.
The opening goal came 12 minutes later though as a good spell of pressure led to Linby earning a throw in deep on the right side of Southwell’s half. It was taken quickly and played into the path of Kye Pilmore, the midfielder was able to jink his way towards goal before playing the ball into the path of his captain Aidy Harris who happily buried the ball home.
The creator nearly became the finisher three minutes later when Pilmore again received the ball on the right side of the field. This time though he curled a shot from outside the box which rattled the Southwell crossbar before flying away from danger.
A number of times this season Linby have fell foul of letting leads slip but they seemed determined not to let that happen this evening. With their tails up from their early goal they continued to push forward in search of a second goal. Aidy Harris nearly grabbed a second with a clever flick at the front post after reaching a Kye Pilmore cross before Tom Coupe saw his shot fly wide of Max Danby’s left post.
Before the half was out Southwell made their visitors aware they were still a threat though. Their first real chance fell to captain Malaky Eshhelby who could only fire wide when receiving the ball in the box before a Stewart Gill back post header looped onto the crossbar after he met the ball from a corner.
It was Linby who came out stronger in the second half. They immediately continued their search for a second and were unlucky not to get one in a string of chances not long after kick off. First Lewis Weaver saw his shot saved before Kye Pilmore volleyed the ball with his knee in an effort which was cleared off the line and then Aidy Harris’ saw his follow up strike also stopped.
Just before the hour mark Linby were able to finally grab another goal to give them some breathing space. Wing back Steff Cobb was able to drive past a slipping defender on the wet turf before playing the ball across for Kye Pilmore to fire home.
The side soon added a third as four minutes later Lewis Weaver was able to get himself on the score sheet too. The striker was initially beaten to a through ball by the on-rushing keeper Max Danby but he was able to pick himself up to race to the loose ball and fire into an empty goal.
The game was then wrapped up in the dying seconds thanks to a Tom Coupe effort. The midfielder saw his first attempt at a spectacular scissor kick get stopped but in the aftermath the ball returned to him on the edge of the Southwell box where he was able to smash the ball home.
After the match Linby manager Lewis Saxby said “There was some really good performances out there tonight, I was struggling to pick a man of the match for our side because it could have gone to a number of people.” He went on to say “We’ve said before this season we need to learn to finish games especially when we are in control so it was pleasing to see us not only grab that second but to then go on and get even more.”
