MATCH REPORT SAT 18 JULY 2026
LETCHWORTH GC EAGLES 4 LONG STRATTON 2
Eagles dominated most of the first half against the team from Norwich in a game sponsoring the Offside Trust, but the visitors came back into the game, and it needed two late goals for Eagles to secure victory.
Eagles opened brightly and their first good chance to score came after 13 minutes when the keeper made a great save to keep out a shot from the edge of the Long Stratton penalty area. After 20 minutes Eagles won a free kick mid-way inside the visitor’s half which was floated into the penalty area but not cleared by defenders until the ball was deflected for a corner. From the corner the ball reached an Eagles forward on the edge of the penalty area and a fierce shot was heading towards the top corner of the net before it hit the underside of post and cross bar before the ball rebounded into play and the keeper was able to smother the ball at the foot of his near post.
5 minutes later Eagles did score after a swift break out of defence by Olly Humphreyes, who carried the ball half the length of the pitch before passing to an unmarked Rory Gillham who shot into the roof of the net. As half time approached Eagles produced another quick break downfield leading to a shot from just inside the penalty area which was heading towards the top corner of the net before the keeper made a good save to turn the ball over his cross bar.
A couple of minutes later at the other end Long Stratton equalised when a free kick mid way inside Eagles half was floated into the penalty area, the keeper failed to gather the ball. As he fell over the ball ran loose to a Long Stratton forward who pushed it into the net from a couple of yards.
Eagles responded and after a corner was headed wide the Long Stratton keeper had to make another good save to push wide a daisy cutter shot from 25 yards which was heading for the bottom corner of the net.
A few minutes after half time Eagles went ahead after a defensive mistake. A pass back to the keeper standing on the edge of the penalty area went to Gillham, who passed the ball into an empty net. 5 minutes later Long Stratton could have scored at the other end. Their corner was not fully cleared by Eagles defence, and the ball was returned back into the goal area, but an unmarked forward who got ahead of defenders shot wide.
Another defensive mistake almost gifted Long Stratton a goal by giving possession to a forward near the Eagles goal line. The keeper got a hand to the low cross, and no Long Stratton forward was able to take advantage of the loose ball. Then another poor pass to Eagles keeper forced him to head the ball clear standing on the edge of his penalty area but after the ball was intercepted the final shot went wide of goal. Other shots went wide as Eagles defence wobbled, and Long Stratton got a deserved equaliser when a free kick from inside their half down the centre of the field was intercepted by an Eagles defender, but the ball went to an onrushing forward who scored from 10 yards.
10 minutes later as the game entered its final minutes Eagles went ahead again with a low shot into the far corner of the net from 20 yards distance. Another Eagles goal nearly arrived a few minutes later when Eagles counter attacked with a long chase down the centre of the field outpacing defenders, but the final shot from just inside the penalty area was well saved by the keeper. Eagles did get a fourth goal from the resulting corner when the keeper tried to punch clear from a crowd of players. The ball was returned back into the centre for Ollie Humphreyes to head into the top corner of the net.
