SPARTAN SOUTH MIDLANDS LEAGUE DIV 1

HUNTINGDON TOWN 1 LETCHWORTH GC EAGLES 5

A strong second half performance gave Eagles a comfortable win over opponents struggling near the foot of the league table.

First shot at goal came from the home side after 17 minutes but a freekick from 25 yards was sent well wide of goal. After 20 minutes a long punt down the centre of the field left Eagles defence exposed and keeper Adam Seymour had to push away a low shot at the foot of his near post for a corner, which was headed towards goal but straight to him.

At the other end an Eagles corner was headed over the cross bar by Rod Agyeman-Duah before Eagles did score after 28 minutes. The ball was played down the left side of the field and crossed into the Huntingdon penalty area for Lawrence Burton to head into the net, his first goal for the club.

This spurred Huntingdon into greater effort and Eagles were pinned back. They were fortunate not to concede the equaliser after 32 minutes when a shot from 20 yards hit the Eales crossbar with Seymour beaten, and then a goal bound shot was deflected wide by a defender.

As half time approached Agyeman-Duah raised Eagles hopes with a great run down the right side and into the goal area before the ball was pushed out of play by the covering defence.

Soon after half time Eagles increased their lead when a free kick from 25 yards was sent low into the penalty area and with the defence all at sea Austin Christie shot low into the corner of the net. Eagles nearly got another goal a few minutes later following a chase down the centre of the field but a shot from over 30 yards out intended to catch the keeper out of position went well wide of goal. The home goal then had a great escape when Agyeman-Duah broke clear of defenders and took the ball past the keeper, only for a covering defender to step in and hook the ball clear.

Eagles then went 3-0 up when a low shot from 25 yards by Max Smith found the corner of the net after he was given far too much space to line up a shooting position. Eagles then turned on the pressure and a low shot from inside the penalty area was blocked before the keeper was forced into a save at the foot of his near post. He then had to tip an Eagles free kick from near the edge of the penalty over his crossbar. As the game entered its final stages Eagles won another free kick in a similar position, and this time Will Blair found the Huntingdon net.

This seemed to energise Huntingdon and when a free kick was floated into Eagles penalty area Seymour failed to gather the ball cleanly. The ball was poked towards an open goal but pushed away for a corner by a covering defender. Relief was short lived. The corner was sent to the far post, Seymour flapped at the ball and the loose ball was put into the net from a few yards distance.

Eagles countered and the home keeper was forced to save a low shot from inside the penalty before Eagles were awarded a penalty in almost the final minute of the game. Smith placed his shot too close to the keeper who pushed the ball away from goal at full stretch. The resulting corner was swung into the goal area where Rory Gillham was able to score close to the near post to complete an excellent result for the visitors.