Up Close and Personal
- raylong1965
- Aug 31, 2021
- 5 min read
Preliminary Qualifying Round
Long Eaton United (L9) v Shepshed Dynamo (L8)
Saturday 21st August 2021 3:00 pm
Heavy lead-grey skies accompanied us on the short drive back to Long Eaton for our return to Grange Park. In this second preliminary stage, the visitors were from the neighbouring county of Leicestershire, but a tier above in the football pyramid.
It was obvious from the moment we pulled in to the car park that the crowd would be larger for this fixture, with the surplus vehicles accommodated on the grassed overflow area.
Through the familiar turnstile to the familiar refreshment window, Samuel chose a familiar cheeseburger, but accompanied it with hot chocolate. I opted for a hot dog and, despite its disappointment on our first visit, ordered a familiar coffee. Sadly there were no onions to enhance our food but for a total cost under £8 we accepted this.
Surprisingly, my coffee tasted much better than last time, presumably due to its combination with the generously sized, tasty hot dog. According to Samuel, the hot chocolate was standard non-league fare and 'like you get at school'.
As lack of change obliged me to use my card, I dropped into the bar to pay for the food, discovering their compact and comfortable clubroom. A small crowd occupied tables around the perimeter, mostly watching Sky sports on a large screen, while a short queue at the bar selected from a typical range of beers, lagers, wines and spirits. It reminded me of the pleasant clubhouse at Loughborough Dynamo.
In the main stand, we checked the team lists, checking the Shepshed squad for any recognisable names. None were obvious, and we were disappointed to find that the spectacularly named Shaquille O'Neill-Brooks was not in the line up today.
At the car park end, a contingent of visiting fans had marked their territory, tying a colourful collection of Shepshed flags to the railings behind the goal.
Although still overcast, it remained dry as the game began and it quickly became clear this should be a closer encounter than the previous round. Both sets of players were very vocal, offering support and advice to team mates, and contested the ball strongly. The hosts were encouraged by their fans and we felt very much at home when the chant of 'Blue Army' rang out.
Shortly after the quarter hour mark, swift interplay between Alex Marshall and Jamie Walker put James Gale through, with only a defender and the keeper to beat. As Gale bore down, the Shepshed player hesitated, which was just enough for the Blues forward to pounce, slotting the ball past the stranded White from ten yards. 1 - 0.
Kieran Walker was again using his pin-point spinning throw-ins to threaten the opposition area, as Long Eaton enjoyed a prolonged spell around the visitors goal. As he lined up another, the referee, doing his best to manage a physical encounter, instructed the players 'keep your hands down!' Immediately, Tom Marshall raised his high, much to the enjoyment of the nearby fans. This type of banter between players and officials, which can be seen and heard throughout the match, is one of the great appeals of the 'up close and personal' nature of football at the level.
As the interval approached, despite the majority of possession and threat that Long Eaton had experienced, it was Dynamo who finished the half strongest. With a few minutes remaining, they put together an incisive move down the right flank. A cheeky flick placed the ball on the edge of the area, which a Shepshed player dispatched across the face of goal, only to see it strike the foot of the left hand post. With the keeper beaten and no Blues player in the vicinity, another Dynamo attacker latched onto the rebound but saw his shot blaze over the crossbar.
Half Time Long Eaton United 1 - 0 Shepshed Dynamo
It was a deserved lead at the break, with more purpose shown by Long Eaton, but still a tight contest and Shepshed had shown their quality, albeit in patches.
We passed the Shepshed 'Ultras' taking down their flags for the transition to the other end of the pitch, and they appeared fairly upbeat.
During the interval we recorded our half time thoughts for our YouTube channel.
Please watch and subscribe.
Just before play resumed, the much-threatened rain made its appearance.
And it stayed for the rest of the game, creating a slippery surface that promised a second period of soggy mayhem.
It began pretty quickly as Mundell for Shepshed and Walker for Long Eaton slid heavily into each other. Both benches screamed their respective opinions at the referee, his assistant, players, each other and anyone else who was in close proximity.
A free kick was awarded to the Blues and Mundell had to be substituted for an injury sustained in the collision, replaced by Reece Morris.
Not long after, Morris chased down a loose ball, challenging hard against Wilson in the Long Eaton goal. Another heavy clash, another eruption from both benches, another free kick to the home side.
Surely it was only a matter of time before a red card was brandished, although in the worsening conditions, an early hot shower might be welcome.
Morris was proving to be a problem for the Blues defence and another of his penetrating runs resulted in a corner for the visitors. The ball was whipped in but Wilson saved acrobatically, conceding a further corner. From this, the ball ricocheted among a throng of players, squirmed out of play, and the referee again pointed to the corner. His assistant flagged for a goal kick, which the ref accepted, unusually changing his decision.
It was a much tighter game now, maybe due to the conditions, but this altered in the 73rd minute.
Long Eaton broke on the right, where Brad Wilson passed cleanly down the line to Jamie Walker before receiving a late and clumsy challenge from Morris. It appeared that the referee was going to award the free kick, placing the whistle in his mouth, but seeing Walker was clear he waved play on. The Blues forward picked out Alex Marshall racing in from the left, who made no mistake, rifling home to double the lead, taking a late tackle himself in the process. 2 - 0
This was the final contribution from Marshall, who limped off to be replaced by 'Jebbo' Jebbison. The little substitute quickly got into the game and, a few minutes after coming on, broke forward. His first attempt was blocked but his follow up deflected off the last Shepshed player, nestling in the corner of the net. 3 - 0
In fairness, the scoreline was unkind to Shepshed, who had been better opponents than Holbeach. However, they now looked beaten and the rest of the game belonged to their ebullient hosts. At the start of added time, these were awarded a free kick in a dangerous position on the edge of the area, but the resulting effort skimmed the top of the crossbar.
This failed to dampen their enthusiasm to attack and, late in the game, the lively Jebbo sauntered down the left before cutting back for Danny Gordon, who deftly picked out the top right corner. 4 - 0
Having seen enough of both football and rain, the referee ended the game and we raced for the dry, warm comfort of our car.
Full Time Long Eaton United 4 - 0 Shepshed Dynamo
It had been a good contest for the home side against higher league opposition and, although often tetchy, scrappy and contentious, Long Eaton had shown once again what a good footballing side they are.
If you have never experienced non-league football, or want somewhere new to visit, I would strongly recommend a trip to Grange Park. At this level, it is as good a club as you are likely to find and, currently, the standard of football is highly entertaining.
Now the anxious wait for the first qualifying round draw begins.
Ratings:
Environment - 6/10 For a non-league ground, it has a decent main stand, with clean and modern facilities.
Entertainment - 7/10 Another good performance with lots of goals, and some amusing banter and fierce tackling. Up close and personal.
Food - 7/10 Delicious burger again, excellent hot dog, improved coffee but no onions
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Attendance : 192.
Round trip : 36 miles