REPORT: Quorn 2–1 Aylestone Park
By Dan Sheward
Quorn progressed to the next round of the Leicestershire County Cup with a hard-fought 2–1 victory over Aylestone Park at the Stotto Stadium, building momentum following last week’s league win against Redditch United.
Head coach Ryan Beswick named a strong starting XI for the occasion, with the Reds (playing in blue with Aylestone technically the home side on the night) keen to get the win and progress to the next round of the competition.
First Half
The game started in a scrappy fashion, with a flurry of early fouls disrupting the rhythm in the opening five minutes. Determined running from Gafar Abari earned Quorn a free kick in a dangerous position, but captain Reece Fyfe’s effort was well blocked by the jumping Aylestone wall.
Quorn came close again moments later after some excellent combination play. Finn O’Boyle’s clever footwork opened space down the right, allowing Cain Noble to burst forward down the right flank and deliver an inviting cross. Austin Samuels slid in at the fat post, but his stretching effort flashed just wide.
Aylestone’s pressing caused Quorn a few early problems, yet Beswick’s side gradually asserted control and it was the pressure off the ball from Quorn which caused the breakthrough.
A relentless press forced a turnover high up the pitch, and O’Boyle’s zipped pass found Samuels inside the box. The striker showed no hesitation, rifling a superb finish into the top-right corner to give Quorn a deserved 1–0 lead.
The visitors responded by increasing their attacking intent, but Quorn remained disciplined and largely restricted Aylestone to half chances as the game progressed. A dangerous moment arrived on the half-hour when Jasper Tetlow conceded a free kick in a promising area. The resulting ball in to the box zipped across the face of goal, but no red shirt was on hand to apply the finish.
Quorn went into the break holding a narrow but deserved advantage.
Second Half
Aylestone began the second half with the same intensity, and Quorn initially struggled to gain a foothold. Tetlow was shown a yellow card after being dispossessed and pulling down his man.
The game slowed overall in the second half, and Quorn will feel they had opportunities to put the away team further under pressure. However, once they rediscovered their rhythm, the hosts struck again. O’Boyle burst down the left channel and unleashed a strike that took a slight deflection before flying past Lewis Elsom to double Quorn’s lead.
Shortly after his goal, O’Boyle was replaced by Zak Goodson, leaving the pitch with an impressive evening that saw him directly involved in both goals.
The match settled once more until Aylestone found a route back into the contest. Tayo Tucker produced a stunning strike from the very edge of the box to reduce the deficit.
Chasing an equaliser, the visitors showed plenty of fight. That aggression nearly crossed the line when Jake Wormleighton was booked for a nasty challenge on Cain Noble, a tackle that could easily have resulted in a more severe punishment if his leading boot was any higher.
Aylestone continued to push and came agonisingly close late on, but Adam Harrison produced an outstanding double save with around seven minutes remaining to preserve Quorn’s lead. Despite sustained pressure in the closing stages, Quorn saw out the contest with resilience and composure to secure a 2–1 victory.
It was a cagey evening at the Stotto Stadium, with both sides perhaps hoping for more fluidity, but Quorn ultimately did enough to book their place in the semi-final of the County Cup.