Caribbean Cavaliers 3 Linby CWFC 1

S.Goff

Travelling to Cavaliers without 3 goalkeepers (Craig Lear unavailable, Glenn Guyatt and Stuart York both injured), this was always going to be a tough ask. Linby gambled on playing Reserve centre half James “fingers” Logan in goal. Logan, a former Nottingham City Boys goalkeeper, didn’t let them down with a faultless display between the “sticks”.

Cavaliers fielding their strongest line up are always a big threat and having recovered from the unrest caused by the exodus of former manager Barry Campbell and several high profile players, they have now strung 5 wins together on the trot.

Linby got off to the perfect start. On 7 mins, Kyle McDermott's free kick found the head of Darren Dickens, whose flick on put in the speedy Spencer Goff to slide home from 12 yards, 1-0.

On 10 minutes, a good Linby move involving McDermott and Goff ended with Nick Davies firing a 20 yard shot inches over the bar. Cavaliers first chance fell to centre forward Micky Grinnion, who saw his 1 on 1 well saved by Logan.

On 18 minutes, a well worked move saw Goff put Davies in 1 on 1, but the Linby man's shot was saved by Mick Samuels. On 23 minutes, Cavaliers found an equaliser. The dangerous Chris Joseph dropped deep to pick up a ball from Winnie Brown and Logan could nothing with his 25 yard rocket that flew into the bottom corner,1-1.

Linby still looked a threat, with McDermott and Goff at the heart of everything good they did. Goff saw a 20 yard shot saved and then whistled a 25 yard free kick inches over the bar.

Then came the killer blow for the locals. Right on the stroke of half time they were caught napping. From a quickly taken throw in, Gavin Lewis got in behind them. Despite looking at least 5 yards offside, he got to the byeline and crossed for Grinnion to power home from close range,1-2. Linby looked in vain for an Offside flag that never came. Just how Linby's luck has been going all season, but they say you make your own luck in football.

Linby battled on in the awful muddy conditions and carved out enough chances again to have got something from the game. On 60 minutes good work from the busy McDermott set up Davies for a shot that flew just over the bar. Then on 69 minutes, a jinking Davies run set up McDermott, who put his shot over the bar.

On the counterattack Cavaliers always posed a threat especially as Linby went 3 at the back, throwing centre half Dickens forward. On 78 minutes, Dan Smith's shot was well saved by Logan. Cavaliers added a third goal on 88 minutes when Wes Burke expertly turned Dave Elson and hit a pile driver into the roof of the net, giving Logan no chance,1-3.

Reflecting on the match Linby felt if they had produced this kind of performance last week at Ruddington they would have won that and many more games this season, but league tables don’t lie and Linby are in with one hell of a fight to preserve their Senior division status . Lets hope for more performances like this, but with better results.

Line-Up: (4-4-2)
Logan/
Robinson, Elson, Dickens, Endy/
Cheeseman, Mcdermott, Hargreaves, Middleton/
Goff, Davies

Subs:
Start (for Cheeseman 75mins)
Peel,
Ellis,
Ward

MOM: McDermott