Sporting Khalsa vs Long Eaton United
Northern Premier League – Midlands Division
19/04/2025 – 3pm KO – Guardian Warehousing Arena, Willenhall

The Blues travel to the Guardian Warehousing Arena on Saturday afternoon to face play-off chasing, Sporting Khalsa.

We are looking to get back to winning ways this Saturday after suffering our second loss on the bounce last week as we hosted Coleshill Town.

With only three games left of the season, there is still so much on the line.

One win in our last three would confirm a place in the play-offs.

Season overview: Sporting Khalsa

Khalsa are currently in sixth position in the league table, only five points off of the play-offs.

Worcester City are taking up the last play-off spot at the moment as they have 67 points, Khalsa are on 62, but Worcester do only have two games remaining in their season.

Worcester’s remaining matches are against Corby Town and Loughborough Students. Two tough games. Therefore, this race for the play-offs could go down to the last day.

The Lions stamped their mark on the season right from the off after starting the campaign with two commanding wins against Bedworth United and Lye Town.

Their first loss of the season came the week after however, when they faced Racing Club Warwick in a potential game of the season contender. Khalsa were 3-1 up at half-time, looking hard to catch, however second-half goals from Greg Mills, Connor Taylor and Ben Edmunds meant that the Racers came out winners.

Khalsa then went on a seven-game unbeaten run in the league, showing the league what they are all about. The opening game of the streak was a 1-1 draw with Hinckley LRFC then came six wins. Simeon Cobourne scored six goals in five games in this spell of form, he is the Lions’ top goal scorer this season with 23 goals.

A drastic turn in form hit Khalsa however, as after that run of unbeaten games, they only won two games of their next ten in the league.

The wins came against Sutton Coldfield Town and Corby Town, these games were three weeks apart. After the victory against Corby, Khalsa lost four straight home league games versus Shepshed Dynamo, Loughborough Students, Anstey Nomads and Wellingborough Town.

They turned up the heat over the Christmas period winning three on the bounce between the 21st of December and the 4th of January.

Their 5-3 win against Bedworth United could genuinely be game of the season. Khalsa were 3-2 down up until the 82nd minute. A goal from Andre Landell in the 83rd squared the game, but then goals in the 90+5th and 90+7th minute from Peter Taylor and Jayden Campbell meant an astonishing comeback was accomplished.

The team that Khalsa are chasing in the league, Worcester City, gave the Lions something to think about on the 8th of February when they beat Ian Rowe’s side 6-1 at Claines Lane. Taylor Townsend and Kyle Belmonte both scored braces for Worcester with Isai Marselia getting Khalsa’s only goal in the 81st minute.

Since then, Sporting Khalsa have been in steady form with the only eyebrow raiser coming against Corby Town on the 29th of March when Khalsa were defeated 5-0 at home.

The Reverse Fixture:

We welcomed Khalsa to the Family Only Stadium on Tuesday the 17th of December 2024.

The points were shared as the match finished 2-2.

The Blues went 2-0 up with goals from James Shaw and Jamie Hanson in the first half.

However, the Lions bounced back in the second half after a goal from Andre Landell and an 87th minute equaliser from Simeon Cobourne.

A true game of two halves.

Current Form:

We are currently in fifth place when it comes to the form guide.

Four wins on the bounce against Shepshed Dynamo, Sutton Coldfield Town, Darlaston Town and Rugby Town were followed by defeats to Racing Club Warwick and Coleshill Town.

This means that we have took 12 points from a possible 18 in our last six.

Sporting Khalsa are on our toes in seventh place.

Their most recent from looks like this: DWLWLW.

The wins came against Boldmere St Michaels, Shepshed Dynamo and Sutton Coldfield Town.

With the losses coming against play-off forces Corby Town and Anstey Nomads.

Saturday’s game is going to be a good one.

Brad speaks ahead of Saturday:

“It’s a massive game. They’re (Sporting Khalsa) going to be chucking absolutely everything at it because they need to win every single game to ensure that they get into the play-offs.

“If they don’t beat us they don’t get into the play-offs it’s as simple as that.

“We know the magnitude of the game for us and them. But there is also people behind us, there is also people behind us in a play-off spot, so people will feel nerves a little bit more than we will.

“All it is, is a couple of games back-to-back that weren’t the greatest of performances and we’ve just got to dust it off and do it as quickly as we can.”

Match Preview: Sam Hargrave