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5 June 2007

Famous five for Toyer

Coalville Town  5  Leicester 1

Leicester Summer League

Gareth Toyer smashed all five goals as Coalville Town recorded their fourth straight Leicester Summer League win with their biggest victory so far against a much more experienced Leicester side.

Town, fielding a side containing seven teenagers, took a little bit of a little bit of time to adapt as ace goalscorer Ryan Mason dropped into an unfamiliar central midfield role. But once they'd settled down, Mason and Sam Crowie were soon causing havoc in midfield as Leicester struggled to dispossess them.

Mason soon saw a shot go wide, while Matt Taylor also saw an effort saved by the Leicester keeper. Leicester didn't really offer very much coming forward as Glen Marston, James Woodard, Gareth Turner and James Unwin largely cut off the supply to the frontmen.

Having settled, Coalville soon cut Leicester open to take the lead. A good ball out of defence by Turner allowed Crowie to break clear on the right and slip the ball into the path of Toyer who slotted home past the Leicester keeper.

1-0 quickly became 2-0. Leicester pushed forward looking to get back on level terms and Coalville again caught them on the break. Woodard played the ball to the right for Malcolm Gillion, making his Coalville debut, to beat a player and race towards the edge of the dee. Gillion then slid the ball into the path of Toyer, who dribbled round the keeper and fired home his second.

Leicester again hit back and soon managed to get an effort on target, Paul Marston diving to his left to turn a shot wide with his glove. But Coalville continued to dominate and added a third when from a penalty corner Darren Conway slipped the ball into the path of Toyer and he flicked home.

Town then went 4-0 in front before the interval, Toyer again taking the ball around the keeper and slotting home after good work from Gillion and Mason in midfield and a neat layoff from Declan Turner.

Coalville knew the second half would be tougher as Leicester would be a wounded animal, and so it proved. Leicester began to create a few more openings, but their best form of attack was mistakes by Coalville players, who at times got rather sloppy and gifted possession away or made uncharacteristic mistakes.

Leicester's goal back emphasised this. First Coalville lost possession on the edge of their dee, allowing Leicester to play the ball out to their left flank. A player cut into the area and played the ball across goal, where Unwin met the ball and deflected it over helpless keeper Marston and into the back of his own goal.

This sparked Coalville back into action, and Taylor soon saw an effort well saved by the Leicester keeper. Mason had a couple of shots, one which was bravely blocked by a defender, the other that flashed just wide. Declan Turner also had a number of chances, but the young forward was denied on each occasion by the experienced Leicester keeper.

But it was Toyer's night, and it was he who added his fifth goal midway through the second half. Another penalty corner was played out and after Mason hit a shot that was saved, the ball came back out for Toyer to blast home high past the outstretched arm of the Leicester keeper to seal a convincing win and an encouraging display.

Coalville side: Paul Marston; Glen Marston, James Woodard, Gareth Turner, James Unwin; Matt Taylor, Malcolm Gillion, Ryan Mason, Sam Crowie, Darren Conway; Gareth Toyer, Declan Turner.