Long Eaton United vs Wellingborough Town – 08/11/2025
Northern Premier League – Midlands Division
Family Only Stadium, Long Eaton, Derbyshire

Evan Garnett opened the scoring for The Blues in the 23rd minute however Wellingborough took only 10 minutes to reply as their captain, Lloyd Buckby, glanced a header into the bottom right corner.

Jahvan Davidson-Miller scored moments before the half-time whistle, which in the end was the winning goal of the match.

Long Eaton United remain 12th in the table but are now on 24 points, however are only four points off of the top five.

Next up is an away trip to Lichfield City on Saturday the 15th of November.

There were a couple of changes to the side that faced Rugby Town last Saturday. Long Eaton were without the suspended Gianluca Bucci and Owen Betts after the pairs red cards last week, they were replaced by Jake Finnerty and Jamie Hanson. Coden Ducan was replaced in the starting XI by George Atwal as Connor Pace made his return to the bench, making his first appearance since the injury he picked up against
Boldmere St Michaels.

The Doughboys came out of the blocks faster than The Blues did with Will Jones heading the ball against the crossbar in the third minute of the match.

Wellingborough came close to finding the opener again in the 13th minute when Isa Abrahamu was put through on goal. However captain King came to the rescue and stayed big to deny the winger of a goal.

Long Eaton got the opening goal of the game in the 23rd minute and it was Evan Garnett with the finish. Elliott Hartmann drove forward from right back and a combination of tidy feet and determination allowed him to deliver a ball into Garnett from the right side of the box. Garnett, whilst on the spin, hit his strike which was too powerful for Dean Snedker to save despite getting a foot onto the shot. That was Garnett’s tenth goal of the season in all competitions.

Wellingborough Town equalised in the 33rd minute when their captain, Lloyd Buckby, won his header at the front post from a corner from the right delivered by Danny Draper. Buckby’s glancing header found the bottom right corner.

Long Eaton came close to taking the lead in the 42nd minute when Tristan Thompson-Matthews ran onto James Taylor’s cross, however his effort from around the penalty spot went high and over the crossbar. Calls for a penalty were exclaimed by the players in blue and black after Thomspon-Matthews was swept from his feet after the shot however nothing was given.

In the last minute of the first-half, The Blues had the lead and it was Jahvan-Davidson Miller with the goal. Thompson-Matthews broke away from his man and found Jahvan’s feet. The chance looked all but dead as he was swarmed by red bodies in the box however the winger shifted the ball onto his right foot on the right side of the box and curled the ball into the top right corner. It was very similar to the goal that he scored against Boldmere St Michaels which also found the top right corner from an alike position, only it was down the opposite end.

Just like the opening moments of the first half, Wellingborough Town started fast in the second half and King was called into action. A back post volley from Taylor Franklin was saved down low by King who had to react fast and get a hand on the shot and that he did.
Garnett came close to getting his second of the match in the 71st minute when his venomous strike forced Snedker to tip the ball over the bar.

A minute later, The Blues had another chance for a third, this time it was Cieron Keane who came close to scoring his first goal for the club.
Keane, from outside the box, shifted the ball inside from the right and with his left foot struck a sweet and straight shot that was travelling into the top left corner. A diving Snedker managed to pull off a good save to keep the ball out.

All three points headed in the direction of Long Eaton United meaning it is two wins out of four in the league across the last league games that have all been played at home.

Next Saturday however, The Blues are back on the road as they travel to face Lichfield City.

Brad Munn’s side will be looking to make it back-to-back wins for the first time since beating Bedworth United and Boldmere St Michaels in the middle of October.

Match report: Sam Hargrave