Game 15

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08/02/25 – Cup

Linby Colliery 3 – 3 AFC

The last game of the group stage of the Development Cup saw Attenborough travel to Linby needing just a draw to qualify for the semi-final, but once more they were forced to do so with a numerically depleted squad, George Pursglove’s needless red card the week before rendering him suspended and leaving us without our main producer of goals and assists.

Lakshay Sharma was tasked with filling Pursglove’s boots up top and the talented pair of Simon Savage and Colm Keegan-O’Kane returned to the side to add some quality in the wide areas.

The Blues started fast and some excellent wing play from Keegan-O’Kane created an early opportunity for Sharma, but the enthusiastic forward was caught out by the bounce of the ball and spurned a great chance to put us in front. It didn’t take long for him to gain redemption, though, and, after a quality cross from Riley Billson had caused havoc in the Linby backline, Sharma was once more in the right place and this time fired home to give Attenborough the lead.

The visitors continued their early dominance and should really have increased their lead, Attenborough’s left-hand side in particular working well as Saul Riley continued to feed Keegan-O’Kane. Some dangerous positions weren’t exploited, though, and a robust Linby team equalised after the Blues failed to clear their lines from a cross. Shortly before half time things went from bad to worse for Graham Mee’s men when Oscar Janczarek fired a low shot past Haywood to send the hosts into the break with the lead.

Ten minutes into the second period a moment of magic drew Attenborough level, the ball intelligently laid back to the edge of the area by Sharma for the gifted Ollie Mee to rifle a fantastic shot into the roof of the net.

However, parity didn’t last for long, Attenborough shooting themselves in the foot after Reece Caine left his pass back a long way short, snookering goalkeeper Fin Haywood into bringing down a Linby forward just inside the area, and the penalty was duly dispatched. It wasn’t the greatest few minutes for the Caine family as Lewis then missed a golden chance to immediately strike back.

Mee’s lads certainly don’t make things easy for themselves, but their resolve can’t be doubted and more often than not the team have escaped tricky situations this season. Fortunately, that proved to be the case once more after a late equaliser secured the draw required to put us through to the semi-final. This week’s hero being the replacement forward Sharma, who having charged down the Linby keeper’s clearance, managed to recover his footing and squeeze home the loose ball in the 76th minute for his second goal of the game.

Lakshay’s show of desire kept our cup hopes well and truly alive and Attenborough will now face Cotgrave next month. One step away from a Cup Final at Hucknall Town Football Club in May.

haywood; sanderson, humphriss, r caine, riley; savage, billson, l caine ©, keegan-o’kane; o mee (56’), sharma (13’ 76’)

subs; parker, fendick

                             

                                           two-goal hero, lakshay sharma

 

 


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