Gwillim hits 20 goal mark with brace in thrilling win over Pershore
Longlevens striker Fin Gwillim took his season’s tally to 20 with a brace in his side’s 4-2 win over Pershore Town on Wednesday night.
Gwillim’s first came either side of Lewis Driscoll efforts as the hosts went into half time 3-0 up – but two goals in as many minutes for Pershore looked like it had set the game up for a nervy finish.
But Gwillim slotted home his second to extend the lead to two and despite Ollie Long, Jay Wells and goalkeeper Drew Brei having to clear a number of balls coming into the box, Pershore were unable to force their way back into a game they were unlucky in.
The result moves Longlevens back up to 11th in the Hellenic Premier table, with Buster Davies & Pete Boyle’s side having as many as six games in hand over sides above them.
Pershore find themselves in 17th, three points above the bottom two – but have played six more games than Hallen and two more games than bottom placed Cribbs, leaving them closer to the drop zone than certainly Wednesday’s performance suggested they should be.
Pershore are at home to Highworth Town this weekend, before a 10 day break between fixtures – whilst Longlevens have a busy fortnight with five games.
Levens host Mangotsfield United on Saturday, before a Floodlit Cup Semi Final at Worcester Raiders on Tuesday night and a home fixture against Corsham Town on Thursday.
They then head to the Corinium Stadium to take on Cirencester Town next weekend, before Fairford head to Saw Mills the following Wednesday (18th March) – that could have though if they make the Floodlit Cup final, as this is scheduled for 17th March.
The deadlock was broken on 9 minutes, as Lewis Driscoll stepped up to curl a free kick round the wall and Pershore keeper Joe Cunneen just couldn’t keep it out at his near post.
Before that, both sides were struggling for rhythm and it continued after the goal. Former Fairford man, Tino Shumba, saw a long range effort deflected out for a corner, following Isaac Cooper having an effort kept out by Drew Brei.
Brei was called into action again soon after, clawing out a corner from under his own crossbar.
On 26 minutes, Gwillim turned his man in the box after Ben Lodge helped the ball into the area and Gwillim smashed home for 2-0.
Driscoll added a stunning third just after the half an hour mark, as he controlled a clearance on his thigh, before letting fly with a 25 yard dipping volley to beat Cunneen.
Longlevens came close to a fourth just after half, but Cunneen produced a stunning save to palm a Jay Wells header onto the bar and it proved to be a key moment in the opening 15 minutes of the half as Pershore grew in confidence.
Cooper stepped up to whip in a free kick from a similar spot to Driscoll’s, on the left side of the box, only Cooper whipped it up and across goal but with the same result – the ball ending up in the back of the net.
Pershore had hope and within sixty seconds they had the momentum fully in their favour as Longlevens failed to clear their lines twice, with the ball pinballing around the six yard box before Reece Day slotted home to leave the hosts shell-shocked.
They came close to making it 3-3 with a third goal in six minutes, but Brei produced a huge save to palm away a close range header.
Longlevens knew they had to get another goal and came close as Jack Beardsell crashed a header off the bar from a corner.
Brei saved well with his legs, before the hosts added the crucial fourth.
Gwillim got onto a ball forward and slotted under Cunneen to allow his side to breathe a huge sigh of relief.
In the final ten minutes, Brei, Long and Wells in particular did well to combat the number of balls coming into the box – with Brei coming to claim a number of crosses to eat up time.
In the end, Pershore were able to put a number of crosses and set pieces into the box, but just couldn’t force a grand stand finish – with Cooper stepping up to send a free kick high and into the Ibis Hotel car park in the dying embers of the game.
Longlevens: Brei, Roddis, Byard, Long, Wells, Driscoll, Beardsell, Williams, Gwillim, Knight, Lodge
Subs: Graham, Troke, Sherchan, O’Connor, Rankin
Pershore Town: Cunneen, Neal, Griffin, Wheeler, C Clayton, Gregan, Griffiths Perry, L Pinches, Day, Cooper, Shumba
Subs: M Pinches, Hunt, J Clayton, Sumnall, Sheehan
C Martin Roofing Man of the Match – Drew Brei (Longlevens)
READ MORE: Check out the list of Saturday’s fixtures in and around Gloucestershire right here
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