Report written by LPFC:

We started the game on top, and looked like we had to score within the first 10 minutes with 5 chances which were put wide or were saved well by the keeper.

At the 10 minute mark a ball was played back to our keeper by one of our centre backs, a routine kicked turned into calamity as our keeper slipped and pulled a ligament going straight down.

With 3 players dropping out on the day and no back up keeper on the bench our manager went in goal.

A few minutes later our right back went down with a pulled calf and another change had to be made.

On the 25th minute mark a long ball was calmly controlled and played to one of our centre backs, a bobble in the even turf meant the ball skipped up as our defender went to clear putting the ball straight up into the heavens. TVP won the challenge and played in their striker who slid in and pocked it home past our outrushing keeper/manager who was very unlucky not to get their first and the ball trickled into the bottom corner.

The first then went about as end to end football with good chances from both teams and good saves from both keepers.

The second half we came out on top and had two 1 on 1 opportunities with the first 10 minutes. The first one the keeper came out well and managed to block the ball & the second one was a wonderful block from a covering defender which somehow was given as a goal kick.

TVP managed to break around the 2nd half 15 minute mark and get a 1 on 1 opportunity of their own which was saved wonderfully by our keeper/manager.

We then continued to dominate and play the ball superbly around the TVP team and almost scored twice in the next 5 minutes, both times TVP defended for their lives managing to block and put their bodies on the line!

On the 55th minute we were wide and managed to play the ball superbly on the right side where the ball was  laid back to Steve Rogers who curled a peach of a ball to the back post where Gabzino was waiting to head the ball home via a diving header 😍

The game kicked back off and LPFC held onto the ball, keeping possession and challenging the TVP back line every few minutes; only stopping when TVP would boot the ball back to our keeper/manager or defenders!

LPFC had another amazing opportunity when a ball up to our sticker from the back line was headed in to the on rushing path of our winger who was clean through. He couldn’t get his footing together and had to try to play it across where it was cut out by the TVP defenders!

We then got the ball in the middle and played a long diagonal ball into the feet of Gabzino who curled the ball top corner. The ball from the middle was right in front of our bench and Gabzino was about 2 or 3 yards onside. Even though Gabzino was onside the linesmen saw it differently and only once the ball was in the net did he flag Gabzino offside.

We continued to dominate and won the ball after a long ball from TVP. The ball was played out wide to Josh Lowther who took on 3 players before playing the ball across the box straight into the path of the on rushing Tim Bailey who tapped the ball into the empty net!

LPFC went on to dominate and keep the ball for the next few minutes after winning it back from Kick off. Every time TVP won the ball, it was the same story; a long ball up the pitch hoping to get something. TVP couldn’t keep themselves onside and kept getting flagged off!

LPFC won the ball at about the 85th minute and Steve Rogers got his head up and played a ball beautifully over the top of the back line into the stride of Josh Lowther who, to no surprise of anyone who knows him decided to take it around the keeper instead of passing it past him and tapped the ball into an empty goal!

LPFC continued to dominate and kept the ball with hardly any touches for TVP. Every time TVP won the ball, LPFC won it back within a few seconds.

TVP decided that as they couldn’t compete on the pitch that they would kick our players into the air on any occasion they could. The pick of them was an ankle breaking challenge in the middle of the pitch at the 90th after the ball went a few seconds earlier which brought about a yellow card from the ref.

About the 92nd minute LPFC then went forward and played the ball out wide to Gabzino who went into the box and was taken down by their centre back. The ref decided not to give the penalty. TVP then played the ball long which went straight over our back line onto their oncoming sticker/winger who curled the ball beautifully into the bottom corner.

The ref then realised the mistake he made with the penalty and knew that if TVP got another one their would be major complaints about how poor the officials were the entire game (especially the penalty) and blew the FT whistle almost immediately after KO!

What a win for LPFC with missing half our usual starting 11, and having our manager who’s a striker in goal for 80 minutes! Having only 1 sub. What a win, what a group of lads! This was the hardest challenge we have in the group stages of the PSUK and we somehow came away with the win!

Thank you to TVP for the game, you have some amazing players. Good luck for the rest of your games this season!