HANSAKER 2 LUFFS 0 (6/9/03) AT THE end of a pretty awful week for the Loughborough Club as the Charnwood Borough Council turned down their application for a long lease on The Drome and then just their second defeat of the season away at Hansaker but manager Simon Tebbutt was upbeat and quite rightly so. This was a terrific game of football, both sides giving it their all for ninety minutes and the only thing that stood between the them in the end was the ability to take chances. With the councils hollow words and vague promises ringing in their ears the Loughborough lads travelled to Birmingham to play with a spirit that would have shamed their so called elected representatives, should they have been remotely interested. But this was a game of missed chances as far as the Luffs were concerned and it started in the first five minutes when a Hansaker defender presented Gunn with a golden chance to score and he put it wide. From then on this was a keenly fought game at an impressive pace and their was nothing much to choose between the sides. Richards missed an opportunity shooting wide but keeper Paul Springthorpe narrowed his angles well. Hansaker hit a free kick just over the top and at the other end Carl Springthorpe headed just wide from a corner. Again the best chance fell to Loughborough, Jones run into the heart of the Hansaker defence gave Pearson a chance but the Hansaker keeper saved from close in. After half an hour The Luffs should have taken the lead. Jones again getting in a position to score and again the keeper saved and Gunn put the rebound over the top. As if to make a point Hansaker went straight down the other end and scored. For a while the Loughborough side rocked and Hansaker made it two with a header from a corner and the task looked impossible. The second half saw The Luffs almost immediately get back into the game but it wasn't Gunns day and again the ball went over the top. Keeper Paul Springthorpe mad e a point blank save and Hansaker bounced the ball on the crossbar but it The Luffs who pushed hard to get back into this game but just couldn't get the break through. Brannigan had a shot saved for Loughborough while Springthorpe fended off Hansakers break aways, it was tactically right and there was no questioning the commitment but the finishing wasn't there this week as it has been so far this season. In the dying stages Loughborough pushed hard to pull one back and Hansaker cleared one off the line but the latter part of the game disintegrated into the now expected time wasting and that mysterious shortage of match balls. This Saturday Loughborough entertain Coventry Marconi from the Premier division in the Challenge Cup. This a first for Loughborough, in this competition they have travelled to a good few Premier grounds but have never hosted a Premier side in Loughborough, never been past the first round in this competition either this could be history in the making all round and a moral boosting giant killing. (Kick Off 2.45 at the Derby Road Ground) TEAM:  Paul SPRINGTHROPE, Adam LOCKER, Danny BRAILSFORD, Carl SPRINGTHORPE, Matt WATKISS, Adam BARRIGAN, Craig DAWSON, Tony DOWSON, Paul GUNN, Chris PEARSON, George JONES  SUBS:  Nick FAIREY, Mark EDWARDS, Gareth ROGERS SCORERS:   ATT: N/A HT: 2-0