Loddon Utd 0 – 1 Kirkley & Pakefield Sat 21st March 2026 1.30pm ko
Scorers:
Assists:
Loddon: Jack Trowbridge; Ben Ashby, Bailey Hill, Jack Tipple, Tom Green;
Elliott Hannant (c), Robin Andersen, Alex Kounnas, JJ Godfrey;
Marcus Dunthorne-McInerney, Dexter Lee.
Subs: Harvey Johnson, Jamie Whiteman, Matt Ayre
Manager: Jake Sharpe, Asst. Managers: Paul Reader, Andrew Zagdan.
Lino: Ian Tink (thanks Ian)

It had to happen; the run has come to an end. Kirkley were worthy winners but we had our chances and a draw would have been fair to us after a decent second half. Things went against us in that Marco got injured and Dexter was feeling unwell and was not his normal self.
The visitors started sharply and our back four had to be on their toes. They defended and covered each other well. We did create on 5 minutes but Rob couldn’t find the space to get his shot away. Bailey cleared long and Marco and the Kirkley keeper both went for the ball. The keeper punched clear but in doing so, hit Marco in the ribs such that he was unable to carry on and was replaced by Harvey. To lose our ace striker after just 9 minutes was not good.
Three minutes later we restarted. Dexter did well and fired a ball to Harv which was too strong to control and bounced off him to the keeper. Greeno worked well receiving from Jack and made good ground down our left. Electric pace by Bailey over a couple of yards prevented a shot before he cleared for a Kirkley throw. From that throw on their left, a cross got a near post flick-on and a header which Jack got a hand to but could not keep the ball out of the net. 0 – 1
Jack did well patrolling the edge of his area and taking balls into the box. Tipps and Bailey too applied themselves, but second balls went astray too often. As hard as Harv works and chases the ball doesn’t stick like it does with Marco.
Dex had to come off and was replaced by Jamie who went to right back pushing Ben forward and JJ over to the left. Tipps made a great tackle as the rather useful no9 went through. JJ cleared the corner before Greeno blocked a shot and Rob, who was everywhere, cleared. He was then in action higher up. From a throw in front of the opposition dugout, he worked the ball with Harv, got the return and once in the box drew the foul which the Ref. immediately awarded pointing to the spot. Jamie bravely stepped up but his penalty was well saved by the very good keeper. A big chance to get level against the run of play…but these things happen and we had to lift ourselves. Kirkley had a shot slice so wide it stayed in, Greeno was beaten but Rob held up the striker and a shot then deflected away. Tipps blocked another shot and Jack collected the next cross. JJ did well to regain possession, but crosses by El and Ben into the opposition box went begging. Another great challenge by Tipps was followed by his pass to Bailey who launched a long diagonal to Ben but the keeper saved his effort 8 minutes before the break. Kounnas won a free kick, El sent it towards the far post but we offered no challenge as the keeper claimed. Too much watching and waiting by us which allowed Kirkley to dominate. Titch hurried to the garden as substitute ball recoverer, but he just doesn’t have the pace, or the nose to sniff out chances these days! HT
Max replaced JJ, and I think the plan was to go a bit more direct and feed off the big man. The management tried to instil more energy into the boys as a long shot from Kirkley sliced miles wide. Jack took a free kick but Max was surprisingly beaten. Tipps won the second ball before Jamie sent in a cross to the far post but Max was unable to stretch enough to reach the ball. He got to his feet slowly! Max won his next flick on to Kounnas but it came to nowt. But we competed better and won more challenges in midfield. Jamie moved the ball down our right to Ben. He nutmegged his defender and passed to Kounnas. He delayed but the ball found Max who laid off to El and his first time shot went straight to the keeper. A good move to give us all a lift on the hour. Greeno covered brilliantly as Tipps missed out for the first time as all round the field we showed effort in the hope of creating that one elusive chance to equalise. JJ returned to the fray for Greeno (also feeling under the weather) to strengthen our forward options. Max went close from an El corner with the ball deflected for a throw which Rob took. Max made a great flick-on but no-one had stayed deep where the space was and the ball arrived. Kirkley broke and their no9 fired a shot over our bar. Jack took a free kick after Rob had been ‘taken out’. Max made another good flick, Kounnas sent the ball into the box but Ben could only fire his shot at the keeper. We continued this good spell getting the ball forward but still no clear chance. Bailey and Rob defended, El played forward to Harv who moved onto Ben. He ran through but one touch too many lost him a chance to shoot. Ben had another effort blocked as he pulled the trigger having received from Kounnas. We had more possession and more chances but still, none clear cut. We sensed that this was the end of our great undefeated run. We tried everything but it wouldn’t fall our way. El crossed from the left. Ben rose well but the keeper made a save at full stretch. Tipps had won pretty much everything that Kirkley knocked forward. He was on the end of free kicks for us but even his aeriel domination couldn’t create that chance. Jack made a final minute save but it was not our day. 0 - 1
A great second half effort by the boys and stand out, as he so often does, was Tipps who gets the Starkings & Watson’s MoM and a free pint at the Jub Social.

Many thanks to Ian Tink for running the line, and our kind Match Sponsor
Lins Matthews under her ‘AROMA Massage and Beauty’ business.