Mowbray Rangers U13s ease into quarter-finals

Playing against a team from the division below, the under 13s started slowly and looked disjointed in difficult playing conditions.

And Loughborough took a deserved lead when their midfield just strolled through to give goalkeeper Bailey no chance.

Five minutes later it was 2-0 with an almost identical goal, and the hosts would have gone in 3-0 up at half-time without Ward’s last-ditch tackle.

The half-time team talk by managers Bailey and Brighty left the players in no doubt what they had to do and from the resumption the tempo and urgency was raised several levels.

After 10 minutes Toby Barnes pulled a goal back with a long-range effort - his second goal in two weeks - before Kirk scored a fine individual goal, waltzing through the home defence to equalise.

Loughborough’s heads began to drop and the tireless Hewson finished off Starley’s cross to put Rangers ahead.

Loughborough pushed forward and were caught when Ward broke from defence and dissected the defence with a through ball. Max Brighty showed composure to make the game safe.

Mowbray had time for one more attack and after a goalmouth scramble, Hallam got the final touch to complete the turnaround and book a quarter-final trip to Thurmaston.