**FROLESWORTH UNITED 1-6 SHAKESPEARE INN**
AN INJURY ravaged Frolesworth United failed to give manager Ben Harris an early 20th birthday present and build on last week’s success, as they were like lambs led to the slaughter against fellow strugglers Shakespeare Inn on Sunday morning.
Martin Fennon’s first goal for the club ten minutes before the break dragged the Country Boys back onto level terms, but United seemingly couldn’t recover from the events of left-winger Jack Sutherland’s 19th birthday celebrations the night beforehand at Frog Island.
Manager Ben Harris returned after missing last week’s unconvincing victory over Horse and he faced a selection headache as his side were hit with several casualties. The worst of which was the absence of the formerly ever-present midfielder Jake Pantony, who was unavailable due to charity commitments.
Goalkeeper Luke Evans then left his side in the lurch just moments before kick off and other notable absentees were Sam Palmer, Adam Tester, Matt Errington, Jack Sutherland and Mark James.
Youngster Miles Splevings donned the gloves to fill the void left by Evans, behind a makeshift backline of Matt Pell, Joe Wilson, Jack Boulton and Jack Rudman. Fennon partnered Steven Bottom in the heart of midfield, with Martin Finnigan and Josh Baines either side, thus, moving right-winger Gregory Garner into the forward line alongside captain Joe Cook.
Harris was also forced to prematurely name Jordan Halford on the bench after an eight-month injury lay off due to knee ligament damage. The Rabbits’ started brightly but they soon fell behind as early as the 13th minute, when a combination of Pell and Wilson failed to prevent the Shakespeare forward from walking through the back line and comprehensively slotting past the advancing Splevings.
United weren’t to be caught cold, however, and left-back Rudman sprung some life back into his side just over ten minutes later. He pinched the ball on the edge of his own box before gallivanting forward, but his mazy run was brought to an immediate halt on the edge of the visiting penalty area.
Skipper Cook, who dispatched a dead ball from similar range against Glen Parva at the Warren two weeks ago stepped up to take the subsequent free kick, but he could only fire over.
But the boys in claret wouldn’t be repelled for much longer and they were deservedly on level terms in the 36th minute. The sprightly Rudman was again the instigator, rolling the ball inside to Bottom who sent a defence-splitting pass to Finnigan. He unselfishly squared to the onrushing Fennon, who coolly slotted home the leveller.
But frustratingly for Harris, the lead wouldn’t last for long. Boulton hauled down the visiting forward on the edge of his own box and the ensuing free kick was thumped in past the helpless Splevings just two minutes later.
The stench of desperation around Hall Park was evident, when Harris sent on the unfit Halford at the break to partner Cook up front. But the reshuffle failed to galvanise the hosts and the game was as good as over six minutes after the restart when more lacklustre defending allowed Shakespeare to help themselves to a third.
Frolesworth then awoke, but Halford failed to endear himself as the saviour, not for the want of trying, however, but his first touch was rusty after Fennon’s incisive pass and the chance ran away from him.
And along with it went Untied’s chance of salvaging anything from the game, as Finnigan’s sliced cross that was tipped over the bar was the closest they came to troubling their visitors from Braunstone thereafter.
Instead, United then dismally capitulated, shipping in three goals in the final twenty minutes and their slump was mirrored by Baines’ attempted scissor-kick clearance going horrifically wrong inside his own penalty area.
Frolesworth now turn their attention to knockout competition with the trip to Leicester Sunday League Division One outfit Wigston Car Breakers in Round Three of the FA Intermediate Cup ahead of them, the result of which has the potential to save their already dwindling season.
With the incentive of a place in the Quarter-Final of the county’s most prestigious cup competition and a potentially mouth-watering clash with local rivals the Balloonatics or Gilmorton at stake, Harris will be praying for another reaction ahead of the return of United’s scholars from across the pond in America.
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