MATCH REPORT TUESDAY 18 NOVEMBER 2025
SPARTAN SOUTH MIDLANDS LEAGUE DIV 1 CUP 2ND ROUND
LETCHWORTH GC EAGLES 2 BELSTONE 4
Eagles struggled against an in-form team that proved clinical in taking its scoring chances. Austin Christie played his 100th game for the club.
Belstone dominated the early stages of the game with a series of corner kicks. They nearly scored after 3 minutes when a long punt upfield from near halfway was chased by a Belstone forward into the Eagles penalty area, but his low shot was deflected wide of goal by a covering defender. A minute later a Belstone corner was only headed out to the edge of the penalty area by Eagles defence and a goal bound shot was brilliantly tipped on to the cross bar and safety by Eagles keeper George Coomes.
At the other end Will Blair intercepted a Belstone pass mid-way inside their half and ran with the ball into the penalty area, but his low shot was pushed wide by the keeper at his near post. After 11 minutes the early pressure by Belstone was rewarded when another corner was sent to the far post, headed back to a teammate standing almost on the goal line, and he headed the ball into an open net.
On the half hour they missed a great chance to increase their score with a break down the right touchline and pass into the centre of the Eagles penalty area to an unmarked forward, but Coomes saved his low shot with his feet. Eagles came more into the game as half time approached and Blalr sent a free kick from 25 yards round the defensive wall but too close to the keeper who made a comfortable catch. Rod Agyeman- Duah then found himself clear on goal inside the penalty area after receiving a cross from the right touchline, but at the vital moment he slipped and could only poke the ball towards the keeper.
Early into the second half Eagles scored with Olly Humphreyes heading in a corner, but a couple of minutes later Belstone restored their lead with an identical goal from another corner, heading through a crowd of players. Eagles then survived several dangerous attacks before going further behind. A low cross found a Belstone forward near the penalty spot, but his shot went high and wide of goal. Coomes and a defender then had to block a run and shot inside the penalty, but Eagles luck finally ran out when an unmarked forward inside the penalty area found the net with a low shot into the corner of the net.
Eagles tried to respond with shots that were either deflected wide by defenders or were high and wide of goal. The closest was a shot by Blair from the right side of the penalty area which went just wide of the far post. As Eagles pushed forward gaps were left in defence and a rapid counter attack by Belstone played the ball into an unmarked forward who shot low into the corner of the net. Eagles continued to press in the final minutes. Humphreyes had a shot blocked after a great run down the centre through the Belstone defence, and Agyeman-Duah blazed high over the goal before in the last minute of the game they scored a consolation goal. An inswinging corner was headed into the net from close range by Charlie Austin.
