Beardsell on target as Longlevens ease past Cinderford in Hellenic League Challenge Cup
Jack Beardsell scored an injury time volley to ensure Longlevens’ safe passage in the Hellenic League Challenge Cup, as they won 2-0 away at Cinderford Town.
After a goalless first half, an own goal put Buster Davies & Pete Boyle’s side ahead before Beardsell’s stunning effort to return Lewis Adams’ clearance in off the bar sealed the deal for what was, in reality, a fairly straight forward win in the end.
Longlevens will await their opponents in the next round of the Challenge Cup, with a trip to Royal Wootton Bassett Town in the league next on the agenda – whilst Cinderford Town will need to improve if they are to extend their run in the FA Vase, with Helston Athletic making the trip next weekend.
The game started with Cinderford seeing a lot of the ball, and Owen Taylor stinging the palms of Billy Thomas from 18 yards.
Lewis Driscoll had the visitors’ first effort moments later, curling wide from about 20 yards.
After a Jack Beardsell cross was cleared out to him, Soyan Sherchan fired just wide as Levens began to settle into the contest.
Ryan Hillier curled a free kick towards goal, but it deflected straight at Thomas, who held on well.
Both sides could only create half chances for the most part – with the two really balancing each other out in the first half.
After the break, Longlevens were much the better side and began to keep the ball better.
Beardsell chased a lost cause down the right hand side, with his sliding cut back blazed over by Brad Martin.
Moments later, Callum Tye’s long range effort was straight at Thomas, with Brad Martin then heading wide from a Lewis Driscoll free kick.
Full back Jack Byard got forward for Levens and his swinging cross from the left nearly caught out Lewis Adams, with the keeper doing well to palm onto the bar and the ball was turned for a corner.
That corner was volleyed goalwards by Martin, with Adams tipping over once again, before the next corner flew into the bottom corner off a Cinderford head to give the hosts the breakthrough.
From there, Longlevens looked fairly comfortable, with Alex Knight and Fin Gwillim coming off the bench and looking to press Cinderford high for the remaining half an hour or so.
For the most part, the visitors were keeping their hosts at an arm’s length and although the Foresters had a number of set pieces, they weren’t able to test Thomas in the Levens goal.
The Longlevens back four, in particular centre backs Jay Wells and Ollie Long, were impressive throughout the game and worked well as a pairing to make life difficult for the Cinderford attackers.
Fin Rankin came off the bench for Longlevens and nearly added a second with five minutes to go, but Adams saved well with his feet after Rankin was picked out in the box.
And in the third minute of added time, Knight chased a through ball which saw Adams come out to sweep clear.
Adams went down trying to claim a foul by Knight, but nothing was given, leaving Beardsell the whole goal to aim at with his nearly 30 yard volley – which clipped the underside of the bar before hitting the back of the net.
The full time whistle brought with it celebrations for Longlevens, who added to their impressive victory against Worcester Raiders last weekend.
They head into the rest of November full of confidence, whilst Cinderford are now five games without a win in 90 minutes.
Cinderford Town: Adams, Waugh, Tye, Yakubu, Vine, Taylor, Power, Hundt, Davies, Hillier, Taylor
Subs: Hunt, Powell, Evans, Warner, Dobson
Longlevens: Thomas, Roddis, Byard, Long, Wells, Holmes, Beardsell, Sherchan, Driscoll, Martin, Lodge
Subs: Williams, Knight, Spencer, Rankin, Gwillim
C Martin Roofing Man of the Match – Jay Wells (Longlevens)
READ MORE: Check out the list of Saturday’s results in and around Gloucestershire right here
