REPORT: Quorn 1-0 Sporting Khalsa
Quorn survived a late scare to stretch their win streak to 13, and their unbeaten start to the league season to an incredible 16 games. Courey Grantham scored the only goal of the game and Jasper Tetlow cleared a shot off the line in final seconds as The Reds escaped a close one.
With both teams starting the night inside the top four, the crowd at The Stotto Stadium looked sure to be treated to quality match, and so it transpired. Cain Noble had the first opportunity within the opening 60 seconds, but his sight of goal was quickly closed down with a defender blocking his effort.
Ryan Beswick, who was celebrating his birthday, also had a shot well blocked in the 6th minute as Khalsa loaded the box under the early Quorn pressure. Noble had another effort in the 14th minute, his angled shot clipped the outside of the post and sailed harmlessly wide.
After holding the Reds for 25 minutes, Khalsa grew in confidence and began to show their attacking flair. Just before the half hour mark Jayden Campbell crashed an effort from the edge of the box off the underside of the crossbar where it was cleared to safety.
The Reds responded with a couple of chances of their own as an effort was cleared off the line and Grantham brought a solid save out of Brandon Ganley. The two were in the thick of the action again mere moments later, but the forward got the better of the keeper this time as Grantham contorted his body to get a foot on the ball and lob the onrushing Ganley.
It was almost 2-0 a few minutes later as Zak Goodson gathered a deep pass and drove on goal. Once again Ganley pulled off a superb save, keeping his side in the match. The sides headed in at the break, with neither side sure how it was 1-0 as both teams created enough to have scored at least a couple of goals on another day.
Grantham and Jack Samples had efforts in the second half, but neither could find the target on shots from outside the area. The game continued at a frantic pace as two top sides went in search of goals and three vital points. Campbell had another effort come back off the frame of the goal with just twenty minutes to play, this time hitting the inside of the post, only for his effort to bounce to safety for the hosts.
As the game headed towards full time their were late chances for either side, Quorn almost scoring as a close range shot was well saved by Ganley, with the rebound off his body hitting a retreating defender. The loose ball could have gone anywhere, but dropped kindly into the path of the keeper as he was gathering himself from the initial save.
The final chance came in the final minute of stoppage time, with almost the final kick of the game. Simeon Cobourne came off the bench late and caused problems for the Quorn backline, never more so than in the final minute when he lobbed Tom Allsopp. Everyone inside the ground thought the ball was going into the back of the net, but it hit the base of the lefthand post and, as it rolled along the goal-line, Tetlow slid in and cleared as The Methodists’ faithful breathed a collective sigh of relief.
Beswick described it was “an amazing win” putting the result down to the “heart and desire” shown by his squad. The fixtures keep coming thick and fast as a trip to Wellingborough Town on Saturday presents another challenge for the Reds. The Doughboys won promotion from the UCL Premier Division South last season, and have adapted well to life at step four, sitting just four points outside the playoff places.