FOLLOWING their recent penalty shootout victory in the FA Vase, Lydney Town returned to league action on a crisp Tuesday night at The Rec, facing a strugglingLonglevensside eager to turn their fortunes around.
With interim managers Sheen and Thomas at the helm, Lydney made several adjustments to their lineup. Amadou Lo stepped in for Kristian Burnard, while Liam Sheppard made his return at fullback after an extended layoff. Tyler Blount earned a start, pushing Simon Prangley to the bench alongside returning player Tom Rush.
The match began withLonglevensshowing promise, almost taking the lead just two minutes in. A dazzling run from Sutherland on the left wing led to atantalisingcross for central striker Marley Thomas, who unfortunately squandered the opportunity.
The home side suffered an early setback when influential midfielder Frankie Johnson was forced off due to a facial injury, with Arron Jenkins taking his place. The game quickly became scrappy, withnumerousfouls leading to a flurry of yellow cards from the referee. Lydney's Dan Brain had afree-kickblocked by the wall, denying them an early chance to score.
However, Lydney took the lead in the 20th minute. Jenkins won the ball in midfield and played it out wide to Blount. Despite being pushed to the sidelines, Blount skillfully cut inside his defender and curled a stunning shot pastLonglevens' keeper Kane Winman, finding the far corner of the net.
Further woes struckLonglevenswhen LewisPinchardpulled up with a tight hamstring, prompting a substitution with Declan Morley-Lyne coming on. Despite Lydney's goal,Longlevensbegan to find their footing, forcing a series of corners.
Lydney'sdefence, particularly Lo andSutherland, dealt with the pressure effectively.As the first half drew to a close, Lydney pushed forward once more, ending the half with a renewed sense of dominance.
The second half sawLonglevenscreate the first notable chance, with unmarked Fin Brown heading wide when well placed. Fullback Ed Richardson alsoattemptedto threaten with a cross that evaded all players, illustratingLonglevens’ growing confidence.
On the hour mark, Lydney doubled their lead. A defensive error fromLonglevenssaw Austin Parker slip while trying to clear, allowing Tyler Blount a clear run at goal. Maintaining his composure, Blount managed to get a shot off just as Winman charged to block, resulting in the ball looping over him and into the net.
With Lydney now in control, Blount and Guest were substituted for Prangley and Rush. It was no surprise when they added a third goal with just ten minutesremaining. Prangley delivered a well-placed ball into Morley-Lyne, who finished with precision, rolling back the years to find the back of the net.
As the match wound down, Dan Brain made way for Zac White, and Lydney comfortably saw out theremainderof the game, withLonglevensfailing to mountany significant threat.
This improved performance lifted Lydney from 19th to 15th in the league standings, though interim managers Sheen and Thomas acknowledged that there is still much work to be done as the season progresses.