Central Midlands Alliance South – 14 October 2023
Matt Peberday’s Linby side put in a dominant performance on Saturday afternoon to maintain their fine form of late, and stretch their unbeaten run to five matches in all competitions, following a comfortable, 5-0 home win, over bottom club Nottingham FC.
Dominating from the off, Linby saw early chances go begging before eventually taking the lead midway through the half; Jack Smith, Ewan Gibson, and Josh Wass all saw efforts saved by Liam Randle in the visiting goal.
The opening goal arrived on 21 minutes, and by the time the thirty minute mark was reached, the hosts were already three goals to the good; a long-ball from Billy Brooks led to the first, the visiting centre-half helping the ball on into the path of Mitchell Slawson and he proceeded to fire past Randle, from the edge of the box, and in off the post.
A second goal was added five minutes later, Gibson with a throw-in to Dylan Walker and his deflected effort nestled into the bottom corner; then with the hosts pretty much in the ascendency, Rory Smith snatched the third, reacting quickest to a spilled effort from Gibson to put the loose ball in the back of Randle’s net.
Slawson went off injured on the half hour, replaced by Ashdon Bernard, before a fourth goal was scored seven minutes before the interval, a Corey Wood dash to the line was squared to Gibson who fired home; the visitors though, they had a great chance to get back into contention just minutes later when awarded a penalty, Destiney Wog however sending the spot-kick wide of Jack Walker’s goal and the hosts led 4-0 at the break.
After a goal-spree in the first, the second was not much so, Gibson shooting wide of goal as the game ticked into the final fifteen, and Randle saving from Smith’s effort from the edge of the box; the fifth goal for the hosts came with five minutes left on the clock, Smith releasing Bernard who, although his initial effort was also saved by Randle, followed up well to score, putting the seal on a 5-0 win.
Linby CW – Jack Walker, Rory Smith (Sam Atkin, 66), Corey Wood, Alex Paterson (Connor Gillan, 46), Billy Brooks, Josh Wass, Dylan Walker (Patrick Stefeniak, 46), Ewan Gibson, Jack Smith, Sean Craven, Mitchell Slawson (Ashdon Bernard, 30) (subs – Patrick Stefaniak, Greg Conn, Sam Atkin, Ashdon Bernard, Connor Gillan)
Nottingham – Liam Randle, Kyle Jack, Jonathan Haywood, Charles Ogannonaya Nathen Johnson, Tyrelle Bartley, Karim Iqbal, William Hawkins, Azwon Allen, Destiney Wog, Romeio Poku (subs – Lettisier Flemmings, Aaron Adams, Orlando Robinson, Kye Wade)
Linby MOM – Ewan Gibson
Officials – Kevin Theobold / Robin Bourne / Ellis White
In Division One East, the Reserves are currently fourth in the table, having lost 2-1 away to Blidworth Welfare, that having led early on with a twenty-yarder from Spencer Pollitt, the hosts netting through Reilly Hodge and Luke Bacon, Reserves ‘keeper, Will Wass keeping his side very much in the game.
Next up for Linby CW, as they push towards the top six in the CMA South, the second of three home games in a row when they host Melbourne Dynamo on Saturday 21 October, they having seen off Teversal in their weekend outing (1-0 at home)