Long Eaton United 2-1 Steels
Stocksbridge Park Steels were punished for not taking their chances in a 2-1 loss to Long Eaton United.
The game started in the worst possible way for Stocksbridge. Long Eaton got the break into the box and Dylan Youmbi would inadvertently trip the attacker, giving the hosts a penalty kick. Jamie Walker stepped up and smashed it off the inside of the post which gave Ben Townsend no chance despite him guessing the right way.
Stocksbridge to their credit were able to bounce back from their early disappointment and they were able to get an equaliser. It was Youmbi again who was able to make up for his earlier mistake. He turned several defenders inside out, including sending Reece Biertram to the floor, before firing the ball past the goalkeeper and putting the Steels onto level terms.
Long Eaton were very keen on getting back into the game and they were just a few inches away. Tom Cursons was driving at the defence and he was given enough space to get a shot off. It beat Townsend, but it also beat the post by a couple of inches.
In the second half, it was Long Eaton who had the first big chance. A foul on the left wing gave Tom Marshall the chance to put a ball in and it was a quality effort to the far post. A Long Eaton man got onto the end of it but thankfully, the post saved Stocksbridge on this occasion.
Stocksbridge were toiling trying to create their own opportunities but it would be Long Eaton would get the eventual winner. Micah Jebbison latched onto a ball over the top and with a defender isolate, he squared the ball for Walker who fired past Townsend to give them the lead again.
The Steels fought to try and get an equaliser but it was not to be. First, a free kick from Tomas Poole was headed back into the six yard box only for Luke Rawson to head it over. Then even more frustratingly, an effort from Ify Ofoegbu fell into the path of Rawson in the six-yard box but he could only hit it over. The final chance came when Jack Tinker’s cross was headed over by Charlie Oglesby, confirming the 2-1 loss.
