4th February 2025
Lakenheath vs Hadleigh United @ The Nest - Lakenheath
Thurlow Nunn Premier Division (Step 5)
19:45 KO
£8 entry
Attendance - 91
Half-time score: Lakenheath 1-0 Hadleigh United
Goals:
Lakenheath: C. Rocha - 24'
Lakenheath: Hayden - 65'
Lakenheath: V. Rocha - 69'
Final Score: Lakenheath 3-0 Hadleigh United
Today marks my first visit to Lakenheath for a while, for a variety of reasons I have not been able to make it to any game. However, tonight presented an opportunity so I jumped at the chance. The Nest or the 'The Pit' as it has been previously referred to, is a fine ground, its unique setting and decent clubhouse makes it a joy to visit. Unfortunately, Lakenheath are not doing as well in the league as they have done in previous years, sitting in 18th place, 8 points above the relegation zone. Today was an opportunity for Lakenheath to extend this gap as they hosted 14th place Hadleigh United.
On the way into the ground I picked up a free printed matchday programme, another Barnes Print classic.
It was a clear evening with a bit of a chilly breeze in the air. With the recent winter weather, the pitch looked a bit stodgy and soft in places, cutting up quite a bit as the game progressed. Out under the floodlights, Lakenheath lined up in their green home kits, with Hadleigh United in a yellow and blue away kit.
KEY MOMENTS
LH = Lakenheath
HU = Hadleigh United
8' - HU - A long ball is pumped forwards, Glover latches onto it and tries to lob the keeper, it looks good but Walker leaps up and at full stretch and gets a glove on the ball to push it wide
16' - HU - Free-kick taken by captain Ethan Clarke, Dinnell is on the end of it, his headed effort is blocked and it falls kindly to Glover who drags his shot wide.
24' - LH - GOAL (1-0) - The hosts get the opener, against the run of play it has to be said. A corner taken by Cowie is headed clear, it drops to Carlos da Rocha who instinctively flicks out out his leg to volley the ball, a bit like a scorpion kick, and it rises high, and despite a headed block off the line, it flies into the roof of the net, amazing reflexes from the Lakenheath attacker!
43' - LH - Captain Ross Bailey steps up to take a corner, he hits a high looping ball into the far-post, it has so much curve on it that turns towards the goal, keeper Spurling is rooted and can only watch as the ball slams into the far-post and out, so close to a 2nd special goal of the evening!
48' - LH - A neat through ball from Valter da Rocha releases his brother Carlos da Rocha, who beats the offside trap despite the protestations from the Hadleigh defence, with the defenders yards behind he is through 1-on-1, but his effort is too close to Spurling who makes the save, should have been 2-0.
49' - LH - A deep free-kick is launched forwards by Hogg, Wales is on the end of it, he flicks a backheader towards goal to force Spurling to make another save.
50' - LH - Carlos da Rocha has a go from 25yrds out, his effort has Spurling beaten, but it does not dip enough and skims the top of the crossbar, great period from Lakenheath after the break.
64' - HU - Hadleigh attack, a ball crossed into the box is headed away but drops perfectly for an attacker (possibly Glover), a volley is snapped of, it darts under the sliding defender but Walker is down well to make the save down to his left, to concede a corner.
65' - LH - GOAL (2-0) - Shortly after Walker's great save, Lakenheath make it two. They break through Valter da Rocha, he slips in substitute Hayden down the left, he takes the ball forwards, cuts into the box and makes the space for the strike which is drilled with pinpoint accuracy into the bottom left corner, brilliant breakaway goal and finish to give the hosts some breathing space.
69' - LH - GOAL (3-0) - Lakenheath follow-up with the third to all but seal the game. Hayden threads winger Cowie through, he bears down on goal but Spurling closes him down well to stop the ball, but it spins out to Valter da Rocha inside the box who takes a touch to set himself before smashing the ball into the onion bag, he wasn't going to miss from there!
76' - LH - Carlos da Rocha is attacking along the right flank, the ball goes loose and fortuitously rolls to Valter da Rocha on the edge of the box, he spins and fires in a first time strike that flies just wide of the near-post.
87' - LH - A long goal kick is left by the Hadleigh defence, Valter da Rocha tries to get on the end of it but an alert Spurling just about beats him to the ball to spare Hadleigh's blushes.
After a shaky start, Lakenheath grew into the game and put in a brilliant second half performance to settle the game as comfortable winners, growing the gap to the relegation zone to a healthy double-digit 11 points. The defence done well to weather the early storm, and they countered well through brothers Carlos (Rudi) and Valter who were on-fire today, troubling the Hadleigh defence all evening, with Cowie down the left-wing injecting pace into the attacks. The task got harder when Matthew Hayden came on, facing an attacking line-up of Carlos, Valter and Matt is like facing a Thurlow Nunn All-Star line-up! I was also impressed with Ross Bailey who put in a brilliant captains performance in the middle, barking out orders, finding neat forward balls and breaking down attacks all game, as well as Ryan Yallop who halted so many Hadleigh attacks. Regarding Hadleigh United, they came out strongly but the final ball or strike was lacking accuracy and they were ultimately unable to contain Lakenheath's attacking line, losing discipline as the game progressed. All-in-all, an entertaining end-to-end game with far from perfect pitch conditions, with Lakenheath putting in a resolute and clinical performance to seal the win, can't ask for much more than that on a Tuesday night.
Line-Ups:
LAKENHEATH: Matthew Walker, Theo Carter, Teddy Hogg, Ryan Yallop, Ray Conroy, Matthew Collins, Carlos da Rocha, Ross Bailey (C), Valter da Rocha, Liam Wales, Luis Cowie. SUBS: Jake Stephenson, Kaine Manels, Matthew Hayden, Ben Curtis, Ethan Flack.
HADLEIGH UNITED: Jack Spurling, Mason Harvey, Harry Blackburn, Ethan Clarke (C), Matthew Paine, Adam Dunnage, Curtis Harvey, Zacharias Gayfer, Charlie Read, Joel Glover, Maxwell Dinnell. SUBS: James Wilding, Colby Hillyard, Samuel Mills, Oliver Dunlop, Benjamin Elliott.
Comentários