Long Eaton Utd. 2, Loughborough University 1 (26/09/15 15:00)

I had been lucky with the weather in recent weeks and it was another lovely autumnal Saturday that saw myself and my companion head east along 'Brian Clough Way' to Long Eaton. This was quite apt as I was brought up a Derby County fan whereas my companion is a Nottingham Forest fan.
My companion had previously been to Grange Park but for me it was the first time. The only time I had seen any sport in Long Eaton was some 20 years ago when I had spent an entertaining evening watching the town's former speedway team, Long Eaton Invaders.
Pulling up outside the tidy little ground it was good to see that adjacent pitches were being used to host a schoolboy's game and a training session.  After entering the ground we walked a lap of the pitch before choosing to stand, for the first half, with the sun on our backs between the dug outs.
Shortly after kick-off, in this Midland Football League Premier Division game, it soon became apparent that this was a clash of styles. 'The Students', as one might expect, played a more cultured game, whereas the 'The Blues' were more industrial. The language used by the respective benches mirrored this observation.
The Long Eaton manager, former Ram Charlie Palmer, set up his team to make full advantage of the big centre forwards and nippy right winger. It was the threat of the Long Eaton strikers that caused a Loughborough defender to turn the ball into his own net after the right winger's dangerous cross midway  through the first half. Soon after it was 2:0 as Blues striker Minott bravely got his head on the ball before being clattered by the Loughborough keeper. The Students were rewarded for their  cultured brand of football on the stroke of half-time however. A break down the left wing and a pass into the centre was met by Herbert who calmly slotted the ball past the Blues keeper.
During the first-half we were asked if we wished to buy a raffle ticket for a chance to win a bottle of wine. This resulted in a brief discussion, within earshot of the Loughborough bench, between myself and my companion about Merlot and Shiraz and our preferences. "Are you two talking about wine or women?", enquired the Loughborough manager. At half-time it was lager and not red wine that was purchased from the modern bar / function room.
The second half was fairly even with limited goal scoring chances and the game ended in a 2:1 home victory.
This game had some significance for me as it marked the conclusion of my mission to see (in 2014 and 2015) the 15 Derbyshire teams, at home in league action, that play in the top 9 tiers of English football.

For information please see the list below of the top 15 Derbyshire teams, in order of tier, in the footballing pyramid:

Derby County (T2 - Football League Championship)
Chesterfield (T3 - Football League, League 1)
Alfreton Town (T6 - National League, North)
Buxton (T7 - Northern Premier League, Premier Division)
Mickleover Sports (T7 - Northern Premier League, Premier Division)
Matlock Town (T7 - Northern Premier League, Premier Division)
Ilkeston (T7 - Northern Premier League, Premier Division)
Glossop North End  (T8 - Northern Premier League, First Division North)
Sheffield FC (T8 - Northern Premier League, First Division South)
Belper Town (T8 - Northern Premier League, First Division South)
Gresley (T8 - Northern Premier League, First Division South)
New Mills (T8 - Northern Premier League, First Division North)
Heanor Town (T9 - Midland Football League, Premier Division)
Long Eaton United (T9 - Midland Football League, Premier Division)
Staveley Miners Welfare (T9 - Northern Counties East League, Premier Division)