Long Eaton United 2-0 Basford United
Saturday 25 April 2026
Northern Premier League, Division 1 Midlands

Long Eaton rounded off the season in style with a three-game winning sequence and a tenth place finish.

Basford arrived with an unchanged starting eleven for this final League match already assured of third place and a home match in the play off semi-finals. It’s to their credit that they didn’t take advantage of the situation and “rest” a few players ahead of the play off, indeed the first half chance of the afternoon went the visitors way, but the shot was fired high over the bar

Long Eaton had to wait until the 25th minute for their first real chance, Evan Garnett shooting over the bar. The best chances of the first half came just before the interval, that man Evan Garnett again, as he sneaked a toepoke at goal that went just wide with the goalkeeper stranded, before some lovely interplay between Evan and Tristan Thompson-Matthews saw the Blues number ten drive the ball across the goal. It just needed a touch from anyone to put the ball in, but nobody could get that vital toe on the ball. 0-0 at the break.

The Blues certainly came out for the second half fired up, Tristan having a scuffed shot at goal that appeared to be accidentally blocked by Jahvan Davidson-Miller. Both teams exchanged efforts at goal as the half started a much livelier affair, and on 56 minutes the breakthrough came as James Taylor raced through into the area, took the ball wide of the keeper and slotted home to give the Blues the lead.

Long Eaton doubled their lead on 74 minutes as a cross from Owen Betts into the area was met with the deftest of touches by Jahvan Davidson-Miller.

On 81 minutes, Aaron Cole joined the fray, and nearly scored within seconds as he met a ball into the area on the volley and only a great save by Matt Yates in the Basford goal kept the ball out.

Nine points out of nine to round off the season. If we’d made the play offs, we’d have been the form team....!!

Long Eaton United: Lewis King – Owen Betts – Gianluca Bucci – Callum Cocks – Jayden Cotterill – James Hanson – Jahvan Davidson-Miller – George Atwal – Evan Garnett – Tristan Thompson-Matthews – James Taylor
Substitutes: Jake Finnerty (for Jahvan Davidson-Miller, 77) – Aaron Cole (for Tristan Thompson-Matthews, 81) – Dexter Walters, Connor Pace, Brad Munn (all unused)

Match report by Chris Berezai