No.50 - Sat 28th April 2012; Leicestershire Senior League Division 1;                             3pm at The Lutterworth Recreation Ground; Coventry Road; Lutterworth; Leicestershire; LE17 4RB

 

Matchday images (47) https://picasaweb.google.com/footballgroundsinfocus/LutterworthTownFC02

Lutterworth Town (1) 2 Friar Lane & Epworth (1) 4

Town defeated as they depart rec...

A few weeks ago fellow traveller and star blogger Rob Campion sent me one of his inspirational e-mails following his latest hopping trip. His ace matchday report and photos covered the Leicestershire Senior League game at Lutterworth Town Football Club who had been playing Shepshed Dynamo Reserves in a Division 1 fixture. See the link to the All Roads Lead to Somewhere below for more. I was quite surprised to read that the club was now playing its home games at the local recreation ground on the Coventry Road, a fact that had somehow passed me by. Rob remarked that this was only a temporary measure though as they would in fact be moving from here and going back to Dunley Way a former ground of theirs located on the other side of town come the end of the current season. Filled with intense excitement I quickly scrolled through the LSL fixture list on Mittoo to find out if the club had any home games coming up. I discovered they had two left. How lucky is that? 

With typical gene enhanced procrastinating tendencies I notably decided to leave our visit here until the very last possible moment. Today Town welcome Friar Lane & Epworth FC to the Coventry Road recreation ground for this their final game of the season. Before play the homesters sit one off the bottom of the fifteen team division table after a pretty dreadful campaign which has mustered only twenty-six goals, the joint-lowest (with Asfordby Amateurs) scored in the competition. By contrast Friar Lane & Epworth sit in third place, almost in no-man's land, some ten points behind Sileby Saints (in second) and ten points above Barlestone St Giles (in fourth). Strange but true. Looking at the stats I would imagine that all of the bookies in Racing HQ (or anywhere else for that matter) would offer us favourable odds for an away win in return for our stake!

As Rob remarks on his excellent weblog, the recreation ground is a fairly basic set up and not really up to LSL standards. Although there is a large communal car park next to the main sports centre and floodlit MUGA, it is possible to use the adjoining roads for this purpose. The enclosed field is neatly bordered and landscaped by a mixture of fences, hedges, trees and paths and apart from soccer offers a cricket square and several play areas for children. A smart brick built pavilion funded by Lottery money and a Football Foundation grant offers changing facilities for players and officials as well as storage space for grounds' equipment and the posts, nets etc which are locked up here after matches. The main pitch is roped off on all sides with blue twine passing through a number of yellow plastic posts placed around the perimeter. A couple of portable blue and grey synthetic dug outs are pitched along the nearside touchline for playing squads. The one used by hosts contains the club name printed in bold letters on the upper border. Although there is no spectator facilities several park benches offer seating close enough to the playing area. Views of the lovely St Mary's parish church can be seen in the distance if looking back across the field towards the town centre.   

As expected the game goes with the form book and FLAE chalk up their ninth victory on the road for 2011-12. They have to work hard to earn all three points though. Town open the scoring when Martin Paston (16) nets from close range with a low shot that sees the ball go under keeper Mike Brooker. The visitors gain parity on the half hour mark as Liam Aubrey (28) reacts quickly to steer home Jake Wain's initial rebounded shot parried by keeper Tom Smith in the six yard area. After the break Lane take the lead when centre back Mitch Walker (64) rises to head home a perfectly flighted ball sent into the area from a free-kick. Moments later the away side add a third through Arron Hughes (68) who is quick to stab the ball home following Wain's long shot which rebounds off Smith. Just when it looks as though Town will capitulate they incredibly come back into the game through substitute Mason Bradshaw (85) who runs forward to meet a long ball pumped upfield by the tireless Sean Ramkissoon (one of three brothers in the squad). After controlling it on his chest and turning to face goal he curls the ball majestically across the goal placing it just inside the far right hand post to make it 2-3. With time running out Town push players forward in search of an equaliser. Leaving themselves exposed at the back they are punished by a late counter attack which sees Hughes (89) grab his second beating Smith in a one on one to give FLAE all three points. The match played in cold and windy conditions on a bumpy surface is attended by just over twenty spectators. Neither a programme nor refreshments are provided for spectators.

So what of the future? After relocating to Hall Park in Bitteswell back in the 1990's and playing more recently at the recreation ground off the Coventry Road the club now prepare to make a return to their original base at Dunley Way in the town for the start of next season. In an article published a few days ago in the Lutterworth Mail newspaper (dated 21/04/12): 

'Lutterworth Town FC (LTFC) has applied to Harborough District Council to use the Dunley Way recreation ground for its home matches for the next five years. LTFC has been playing home games at the Coventry Road recreation ground since the start of the current season – but the recreation ground does not meet the Leicestershire Senior League’s minimum standards as it does not have pitch-side fencing. The Dunley Way ground was made vacant after Lutterworth Athletic FC’s move to Hall Lane, which had been occupied by LTFC and left the side without a home pitch. Harborough District Council is set to consider the licence application at a meeting shortly'.

Further updates will be made on the club's excellent website found by clicking on the address below. Watch this space as they say. Finally I would like to express thanks to club secretary Tim Grimshaw for providing much needed fixture information during a late morning phone check-call. He not only gave me valuable travel directions and the all-important match details but in view of the recent heavy rainfall offered to text me en route should the conditions change and the game be subsequently postponed. What a great service. Cheers mate! The joys of hopping in leafy Leicestershire...have fun wherever you go...               

FGIF Match Stats

Scorers: (H) M Paston (11); M Bradshaw (85) and (A) L Aubrey (56); M Walker (64); A Hughes (68; 89)

Attendance: 23 Admission and Programme: None; Match rating: 4/5; Ground rating: 3/5.

Links

http://www.rambler77.net/

http://www.lutterworthtownfc.co.uk/

http://www.football.mitoo.co.uk/News.cfm?LeagueCode=LEICS2011

edited on 29/04/12