Sat 23rd March 2019  -  Midland Football League  Premier Division
Long Eaton United  2  Ilkeston Town  4
Ilkeston’s vital match with their Erewash neighbours ended with an important win and It brought an end to their seven game winless away run. In a match that had everything Ilkeston maintained their three point lead at the top of the table. The Robins led by two goals at half time and then added two more in the second half. There was then a sending off followed by a mass brawl involving virtually every player and the Ilkeston dugout. Long Eaton’s Ben Fairclough received a straight red for the overzealous tackle. Tom Marshall was given a second yellow for what followed and manager Lee Fowler was also ordered off. Soon after that there was a long hold up in play following a serious injury to a Long Eaton player and Long Eaton pulled two goals back in the final minutes.
The hosts had the first effort on goal but it was too high. On ten minutes Elliott Reeves broke through and appeared to be brought down on the edge of the area but the referee waved away the Ilkeston appeals. Long Eaton defender Ross Parker nearly turned Jamie Walker’s cross into his own goal but on 15 minutes Ilkeston did take the lead. Reco Fyfe latched onto a through ball and beat the advancing Elliott Taylor after the keeper had parried his first effort. On 29 minutes Tom Gamblen was very close but just wide with a Long Eaton free kick. Right on half time Chris Shaw put Ilkeston two up with a far post header from Fyfe’s cross.  On 53 minutes Ilkeston scored a third. Alex Marshall intercepted a back pass and lobbed perfectly over Taylor. There then followed the mass brawl which held up play for several minutes. On 70 minutes Alex Marshall scored his second and Ilkeston’s fourth with a header from a corner. There was then the serious injury to Long Eaton’s Mason Rowley which caused a twenty minute delay until an ambulance arrived. There was still over 15 minutes to play when the match resumed and the game lost it’s competitive edge. Shaun Rickford pulled one back for Long Eaton with a precise free kick into the top corner.  Ilkeston made several chances but didn’t take them and they conceded a second in the final minute when Kam Campbell scored from Rickford’s knock down.
Attendance 724 


After the match the top of the table looked like this:

                                                   P    W    D    L     F      A      GD     Pts
          Ilkeston Town                33    21    4    8    71    43     +28     67
          Walsall Wood                33    19    7    7    56     31    +25     64

 

Last edited by Matchman (21/3/2020 10:18 PM)