ASHBY IVANHOE U18s 3-4 ROTHLEY IMPERIAL U18s
LEICESTERSHIRE MIDWEEK FLOODLIT YOUTH LEAGUE NORTH DIVISION
WEDNESDAY 7TH SEPTEMBER 2011

Ashby Ivanhoe Under 18s fell to a narrow 4-3 defeat in their first home match of the new season against early league leaders Rothley Imperial Under 18s.

Ashby had opened their season with a 3-1 away win at Asfordby Amateurs the previous week and they started this match well with an early goal in just the fourth minute when the ball was passed out to the left of the area before the ball back into the box was finished off by Tom Nolan.

The lead was short lived when straight from the restart Rothley went on the attack and from the left a cross was deflected towards a player at the back post who had a simple finish from six yards to level the scores.

Five minutes later and Rothley had a chance to take the lead when a long ball forward into the area resulted in a powerful header at goal which was heading for the top corner before the keeper got a hand to it to turn it past the post.

Midway through the first half Ashby edged back in front with a well worked goal. It came from a Rothley attack and when the ball was headed out of defence a good ball forward found Ashley Poyser behind the defence and he placed his shot past the keeper for 2-1.

Ashby went close to a third goal in the 37th minute when a free kick from the right was played into the area but the resulting header struck the top of the bar before going out of play.

The visitors then turned the game around in the remaining minutes of the half as they scored three goals. The first came when a ball forward saw the keeper come off his line but the attacking player beat him to the ball to head it into an empty net.

They then took the lead in the 41st minute when a cross into the area beat the defence which left the player with just the keeper to beat from close range before a fourth goal was scored on the stroke of half time when the keeper had saved a powerful shot but the player regained possession before firing in a low shot from a narrow angle to make it 4-2 at the break.

The opening of the second half saw Rothley nearly add a fifth goal when they fired over with just the keeper to beat before Ashby almost pulled a goal back from a corner but the ball went narrowly wide.

Throughout the remainder of the match Ashby were trying to get back into the match but they found the Rothley defence tough to break down in the second half until the dying minutes when they got a third goal when Nolan fired in his second into the top corner but there was little time to force an equaliser and it was Rothley who ran out 4-3 winners.