LUFFS 3 LITTLETON 2 (8/10/05) Challenge Cup R1 STILL in all four cup competitions as the Luffs fought another successful battle at The Drome against the mighty Littleton. The Littleton keeper Michael Harris had a busy afternoon and he was the first in action punching clear under early pressure from the Loughborough forwards. Littletons first real threat was a free kick and defender Martin Kearns cleared under pressure. Phillip Wickes sent in a high cross but keeper Harris took it cleanly while Modoe Darboe set up Nathan Dale whose shot went just wide. The game was held up for some twenty minutes for an ambulance to attend a Littleton defender with what looked like a serious fracture and a visiting spectator who found it all a bit too much and passed out in the South stand. When the game re started The Luffs had lost the plot and a flowing move from the visitors saw Ben Green wood finish clinically and Littleton were in the lead. As the rains came down mistakes were made and it was a mistake in the Little back line that let in Modou Darboe to equalise for Loughborough. The Loughborough defencive wall blocked a free kick from Simon Brain as Littleton looked for twenty minutes before half time the better side. Loughborough should have gone in the lead, keeper and defender collided and Simeon Grignon was left facing an empty goal but somehow he put it wide. Greenwood shot over when face with keeper Ben Hall and Daniel Makins headed one straight into Hall waiting arms, the Luffs needed the long awaited half time break. The second half saw Loughborough take the initiative, Leon Fay went clear, Harris saved, Steve Higgins beat the keeper but a defender cleared off the line. Man of the Match Simeon Grignon had yet another golden chance to score as defender and keeper just couldn't cope with the big man but when the ball dropped on his head with another empty net he headed over. Littleton were living on borrowed time but they made good use of it and Mathew Staley broke away with pace and found the bottom corner. The Luffs were chasing the game again, Fay found the side netting Dale rounded the keeper and then chipped the ball over the bar and Higgins saw his shot palmed away at the lost moment. Littletons luck ran out in the later stages, Modou Darboe levelled the scores for his second of the day and the possibility of extra time loomed. But with five minutes to go Paco Box let fly from outside the penalty area, a defenders head deflected the ball into the net and that was that, Littleton were left with a long journey home and nothing to show for it. Loughborough make that same journey this Saturday as fate has drawn them again Littleton again this time in the Presidents Cup second round. Hathern Res 0 Loughborough Res 4 These are heady days for the Luffs as the second team completed a good afternoon. The Luffs convincingly beat the villagers at Hathern but the feature of the afternoon was a hat trick of goals from the sixteen year old Brian Rogers, each one taken with aplom. The fourth goal came from Jeavon Smith to complete the afternon nicely for new manager Daniel Leivers. TEAM:  Ben HALL,   SUBS:   SCORERS:  Moudou DARBOE (2), Paco Jose BOX ATT: N/A HT: 1-1