The Voice of Spalding and South Holland
Long Eaton United 4 Holbeach United 1
An early strike from young talent Jordan Elston was unable to inspire Holbeach United as they fell at the first hurdle in the Emirates FA Cup on Saturday.
Elston, son of Tigers legend Dean, netted a superb opener at Grange Park when he fired home after a corner had been headed clear on 15 minutes.
That was as good as it got for Phil Barnes’ side in the Extra Preliminary Round clash, as James Gale (28) and Alex Marshall (37) put hosts Long Eaton ahead at the break.
Kim Campbell (51) and Gale’s second (70) rounded off the win for the hosts, who eased into the next round.
Strikers Will Britton and Aaron Eyett both had good chances for the Tigers on the day, but boss Barnes admitted the result was a fair one.
He said: “Long Eaton are a good side, I can see them being top eight in the UCL.
“We started well and Jordan, who played well, scored a great goal.
“They were quite direct and had a lad who could hit our box with a throw from inside their half. We dealt with it pretty well, but they wore us down a bit in the end and the result was fair.
“We did have a few good chances, though. Will Britton went through one-one-one and Aaron Eyett had another clear opening, but it wasn’t to be.
“We spoke about wanting a good cup run to give the fans some cheer and the club finances a boost.
“Sadly we couldn’t get a result, but sometimes you’re just up against a good side.
“I suppose we’ve learned a bit about them and the games against them in the league should go a little better for us.
“We were just lacking a little bit of experience in the midfield, which is something we’re looking to address.
“I’m not disappointed with what I saw, we played well in moments but just came up a little short on the day.”
Tigers: Drury, Nicholson, Balding, N Jackson, Wilson, Richardson, Barnes, Elston, Keeble, Eyett, Britton. Subs: K Jackson, Rose, Grigas.
Attendance: 114.
