Lane Head V Hampton (Division Two)

​Lane Head were looking for a result yesterday afternoon to cement their position in the top half of the table and make it consecutive home wins in the league. It’s been an excellent season from the Walsall club so far and they were sitting in 5th place coming into yesterday’s match.  

Hampton were looking to get a result to challenge for a top six finish come the end of the season. The visitors had been competitive on the road with three wins and one draw from seven away matches going into yesterday.  

The atmosphere around Bloxwich United was friendly and relaxed prior to kick off with both sets of supporters looking forward to the match. The ground is full of character and the clubhouse was well presented with good facilities available to supporters. One of the main benefits of the set-up at Lane Head is the connection it provides between the squad and the supporters.

The ground is one of the more accessible places to visit in division two and is easy to get to by public transport. It’s a perfect location for casual groundhoppers across the West Midlands with Walsall Bus Station nearby and offering either the X51 or the 31. Supporters can get off at Leamore Park and it’s only a short three-minute walk to the ground. 

Starting Line Ups

​Lane Head’s starting line-up included Chris Adamson starting in goal and Craig Tuckley captaining the team up front. The formation looked like a 4-2-3-1 with Craig Tuckley playing as the number nine and being supported by Terell Wright and Jamie-Lee Tomkinson on the wings.

There were five changes from the team that started against AFC Coventry Rangers a few weeks back with Ashley Bellingham coming into the team and playing in central defence alongside Liam Harpin.

The starting line up for Hampton featured Conor Bashford starting in goal and James Morris captaining the team from central defence. The formation appeared to be a 4-3-3 with a front two of Joe Reynolds and Matt Garbett being supported by Alex Considine in the attacking midfield role.

There were three changes from the team that started against Coventry Alvis last weekend with Corey Perkins coming into the team and playing at right back. 

​First Half

Lane Head started the match brightly in the opening 15 minutes and took the game to Hampton. The hosts were on the front foot and started well with Hampton gradually growing into the match as it went on.

They managed to take the lead where an accurate ball found Jamie-Lee Tomkinson on the left who accelerated into the box before finishing across Conor Bashford into the bottom right corner to make it 1-0 in the 4th minute. It was a quality move by the hosts and caught the visitors off guard in the opening stages of the match.

Lane Head were getting a lot of joy from the left-hand side in the first half and could have made it 2-0 a few minutes after the opening goal. Good combination play between Chrishawn Coleman and Jamie-Lee Tomkinson resulted in the latter having a shot at goal that was well saved by Conor Bashford.

Following a sustained run of pressure on the Hampton goal in the early stages of the first half, the hosts managed to find a second goal. Jamie-Lee Tomkinson took an excellent free kick from the right-hand side that went in off the post to make it 2-0. It was a moment of quality from Lane Head and arguably the highlight of the match.     

From that moment on the visitors were mainly chasing the game and looking to get something out of it. To their credit they kept going and showed plenty of effort despite the scoreline. It was not quite clicking in the final third for them in the first half and they struggled to get both Joe Reynolds and Matt Garbett into the game to cause problems.

Lane Head were well organised off the ball and offered a threat on the counter-attack. The two central backs of Liam Harpin and Ashley Bellingham were brilliant at the back and effectively cancelled out most of the visitor’s attacks in the final third. They were reading the game well and proactively clearing the ball away from danger to have a control of the match.

Hampton’s best chance of the first half was when Alex Considine had a half chance on the edge of the box that was saved by Chris Adamson in the 37th minute. Apart from that, the chances were few and far between for the visitors.

​At the end of an entertaining first half, the referee blew for half time with Lane Head taking a 2-0 lead at the break.

Second Half

Hampton had a few more notable chances in front of goal in the second half. They started well and looked to cause Lane Head problems defensively to get back in the match. There was a good chance for Cameron Seivwright at the back post from a well delivered corner into the box which was fired wide.

Lane Head were a bit more pragmatic in the second half and were looking to keep their lead and preserve the clean sheet. They had a few moments in front of goal and Craig Tuckley produced a brilliant volley in the box that was instinctively saved by Connor Bashford in the Hampton goal.

The most clear-cut chance for the visitors to get back into the match was in the middle of the second half. Matt Garbett broke into the box and was through on goal before having an effort go wide from a good position.   

To Lane Head’s credit they managed to see out the remaining 25 minutes of the match fairly comfortably and the pattern of play was similar to the latter stages of the first half with Hampton having a decent amount of the ball but struggling to break down a stubborn backline.

The most impressive thing about yesterday was how well the hosts were set up off the ball and how they managed the match. They could have easily of conceded a soft goal in the final few moments, but they kept their concentration to get the clean sheet.

Full Time

Lane Head played well in this match and demonstrated why their having such a successful season at step seven. They have a lot of quality on the ball and are good at creating chances down both wings and the formation played to their strengths.

Craig Tuckley had an underrated game as the number nine and was good at bringing players into the game and holding the ball up in the final third to start off attacks.

The organisation and work rate off the ball was brilliant and helped them get the three points. Liam Harpin and Ashley Bellingham were reading the game well and clearing the ball out of play to break up attacks. Jack Nixon also went under the radar from defensive midfield and provided the team with a lot of industry to chase players down on the ball to stifle attacks.

Hampton had an off day yesterday and it felt like they had a few extra gears to go into. Most of this was down to Lane Head and not allowing the visitors to settle into their natural passing game. Their arguably at their best when they get into a passing rhythm which has played a big part in their LJ cup success this season.

None the less, they showed plenty of effort and endeavour and had a go early in the second half to try and get back into it. It was the sort of match where it was just not clicking but they have the chance to respond next weekend in the LJ cup.

Overall, an entertaining match yesterday from division two at Lane Head and a brilliant place for supporters to watch step seven football.

FT score: Lane Head 2-0 Hampton

Man of the Match: Jamie-Lee Tomkinson (Lane Head)  

Match report written by Rhys Beardmore for the Midland Football League