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Cropley’s Suzuki Boston Saturday League
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SATURDAY
LEAGUE week-by week reports 2006-2007 |
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MARCH 2007 |
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March 31 The week began with the sad news that the long serving
secretary of Croft United FC Roy Smith, had died in Pilgrim Hospital. Roy had
been ill for some time and lost his long battle last week. Roy, as well as
being “Mr Trophy”, was very much “Mr Croft United”. Roy sadly passed away a
month away from his beloved Clubs’ greatest day. Croft United will play AFC
Brumby at Brigg Town FC in the final of the Lincolnshire Junior Cup on
Saturday April 28 and the players and supporters of Croft United will need no
greater incentive to win that battle than to do it “just for Roy.” Barclays Brokers Willoughby Cup Despite the tragic news from earlier in the week, Croft
United played Billinghay Athletic in their semi-final at Wainfleet Road. The
game, controlled by senior referee
Pete Sharman, saw a repeat of last season’s Sports Cup final but this
time with the opposite result. A Gary Cochrane goal two minutes from time saw
the visitors secure their place in the final against Wyberton, a match to be
played on Wednesday, May 9 at Boston Town FC kick-off 7.30 pm. Cropley’s Suzuki Premier Division League leaders Sleaford Town Reserves, stretched their
advantage to three points at the top with victory in an eight-goal thriller
at Gedney Drove End. The visitors scored five with the home team replying
through a double from Johnny Allen and one from David Dalrymple. But that
still left them bottom of the pile, five points short of safety. Spilsby Town did their title chances no good by being unable
to overcome lowly visitors Wrangle United, who did their battle against
relegation no harm at all by securing a good point in a 1-1 draw, Viv Jeffery
scoring for the home team. Wyberton maintained their excellent recent record with
their sixth win on the bounce but Kirton Town made the home team struggle for
the points before finally going down 3-2. Goals from Adam Shinn, against his
old team, John Reeson and Steven Fulcher for Wyberton were returned by goals
from Richard Burrell and Jamie Cox for Kirton Town. It was 1-1 at half-time.
The visitors battled for a point but went back the short journey to Kirton
empty handed and four points adrift from safety with three games left. Cropley’s Suzuki Division One With division winners West End Tigers having completed
their programme, the battle for runners-up spot remains unresolved. North Sea
United completed their league programme with a local derby against Fishtoft.
Needing a cricket score victory to overtake current runners-up Westside
Rangers, the home team got off to a good start with a goal from Robert
Masters and a double from Mohammed Boukassi giving them a 3-1 lead at
half-time. But a great comeback gave Barry Bunce the welcome points back at
the Red Cow, winning 5-3. Swineshead Institute Reserves bagged all three points
overcoming Holbeach Bank 2-0 with both goals from Ben Houghton. Seven points
from their last three games is the target for Philip Pell’s “stiffs”. The big battle at the bottom saw Old Doningtonians
defeating their visitors Spilsby Town Reserves 3-2 with goals from Martin
Fox, Daniel Fox and Keith England helping “Old Dons” to climb one point above
their visitors. One issue was resolved with Tydd St Mary being relegated
just one season on from their championship feat in Division Two. With only a
few minutes remaining, Tydd looked like securing their second victory with a
double from Daniel Piccaver leaving Old Leake trailing 2-1. But two late
goals, including a penalty, saw Old Leake climb to fifth. The defeat was
further worsened by an injury to the home team goalkeeper in those last
frantic minutes. Cropley’s Suzuki Division Two Substitute Gavin Marshall gave Freiston a 3-2 win over
Wainfleet United with a goal five minutes from time. Tyrone Fravigar had
given Freiston the lead scoring direct from a corner inside five minutes. In
a to and fro fixture Royston Wilkinson equalised for the Challenge Cup
finalists but a “screamer” (this time direct from a free kick) from Tyrone
saw the division leaders restore their advantage at the interval. Midway
through the second half Matthew Broome equalised for Wainfleet United but the
late winner saw Freiston gain revenge for their recent semi-final defeat and
go seven points clear at the top, needing nine points from their remaining
four fixtures to secure the title. Their nearest rivals Coningsby Reserves dropped two
valuable points at home to Woodhall Spa United being held 1-1. Richard
Grimshaw-Else scored for the home side but an equaliser before half-time and
stalemate in the second period saw two of the only three teams left who can
catch Freiston share the points in a game both teams really needed to win. With Freiston having beaten the only other team with an
outside chance of catching them, it was a good day for Freiston FC. Black Bull United maintained their late rush towards
runners-up spot with a 2-1 home victory against already relegated Park United
with a double from Paul Sims. Sutterton maintained their recent good record with a 2-1
victory away at Kirton Town Reserves gaining their 20th point out
their last possible 27. Ray Larcombe was in control of the fixture at
Mareham-le-Fen seeing Park Road Old Boys securing a 3-1 victory over Mareham
United for whom Micky Johnson scored. Fosdyke probably had result of the day securing all
three points in their battle against joining Park United in the big drop with
a 4-1 victory away to a Spalding Harriers side who with victory would have
gone fourth. Marcin Mincznski scored for the home team but four goals from
Fosdyke although still filling the remaining relegation spot brought them to
within one point of Park Road Old Boys and Kirton Town Reserves and within
two points of Mareham United. Cropley’s Suzuki Division Three Congratulations go to Marshalls in their first season in
the league, securing the Division Three championship with an 8-1 drubbing of
Holbeach United Social at the Queen Mother Memorial Park in Gedney, winning
the title with four games to spare. Runners-up looks to be another new team this season,
Nortoft United. But they need a win in their last game against Freiston
Reserves to secure second spot. They beat one of the two teams left with a
chance to catch them with a 5-2 victory at home to Billinghay Athletic
Reserves. Wrangle United Reserves still maintain a mathematical
chance of getting to second place but two points dropped in a 10-goal
thriller did their chances no good. The point earned the hard way in a 5-5
scoreline against Old Doningtonians Reserves. It saw them remain nine points
above Mareham United Reserves who battled for an away point at Carrington
against Park United Reserves. Johnny Hercock had no goals to record in his
notebook when the game finished 0-0 and left Park United Reserves two points
behind Old Doningtonians Reserves but seven points clear of Mareham United
Reserves in the battle to finish two places above Holbeach St Marks in the
final league table. |
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March 24 Cropley’s Suzuki Premier Division
There was major shock at Sleaford Town Reserves where title
hopefuls Croft United went home empty-handed following a 2-1 defeat —
although it took a late goal to finally sealed the latter’s fate. Lee Orrey
had cancelled out Sleaford’s opener. But then the Croft striker got himself
sent off. The visitors still looked as if they would hang on for a point
until Sleaford snatched victory with the winning goal two minutes from time.
Craig Wells and Ben Elkington did the damage with the crucial goals for
Sleaford. Kirton Town manager Dale Atkinson was disappointed that
his team didn’t get something from the game after losing 5-3 at home to
Coningsby. Kirton made a storming start as they produced some fine football
during the opening 15 minutes. But then two sucker punches saw them fall two
goals behind. First, their goalkeeper’s clearance cannoned off an attacker’s
legs and flew into the net and then central defender Neil Goodwin got caught
in possession by Carl Wall and the grateful Coningsby midfielder moved
forward before firing home the second goal. Kirton responded in positive
fashion and they brought the scores level by half-time. After the break,
Kirton again conceded some soft goals and Coningsby went onto win 5-3. Town’s
goals came from Michael Collins, Richard Borrill and Michael Goddard. Swineshead went down 4-2 away at Spilsby Town. The home
side went ahead after 12 minutes when a disputed free-kick was lobbed into
the area before falling kindly to a grateful forward who shot home through a
crowded goalmouth. Spilsby went 2-0 in front after 35 minutes when a
wind-assisted corner curled in at the far post and was bundled over the line.
Ben Harris pulled a goal back for Swineshead six minutes after the break when
his free-kick from the left touchline evaded everyone including the keeper
before sailing into the top corner. Spilsby restored their two-goal advantage
with a near post effort after 65 minutes before Swineshead hauled themselves
back into the game ten minutes later when Benn Houghton curled in a free-kick
from out on the left. Town rocked the visitors again when they grabbed a
deciding fourth goal 10 minutes from time with a header. Final score was 4-2. Gedney Drove End made the lengthy journey to Skegness
Town Reserves and returned home empty-handed after a 3-1 defeat. Gedney
played with a strong wind at their backs in the first half and had plenty of
possession although Skegness were dangerous on the break. The visitors took
the lead when a corner wasn’t cleared and Simon Markham scored his first goal
since returning to the club. Gedney’s joy was short-lived, however, as
Skegness levelled the scores within five minutes. Gedney battled well after
the break with their defence and midfield working overtime to keep the
Skegness attack at bay. The visitor’s resistance was finally broken with a
two-goal blast as Skegness ran out 3-1 winners. Referee Rod Crozier had a
fine game in the middle. Cropley’s Suzuki Division One
Chris Mitchell was Old Leake’s hero in their 3-2 home
win against Old Doningtonians. The deadly striker scored all three of his
side’s goals in the home team’s narrow victory. The Dons went close to
salvaging something out of the game with strikes from Martin Fox and Scott
Ekins. Fishtoft took an early lead at Holbeach Bank through Dec
Wilson and could have doubled their lead when a Mark Ryan free-kick struck an
upright. The Bank equalised after the break with a header from Stacey Blythe
before a bizarre goal put the home side ahead – last week Fishtoft keeper Ben
Shaw had managed to get on the scoresheet only for the tables to be turned on
this occasion when the Bank’s keeper Nick Cott launched a giant kick which
found the back of the net. Holbeach made sure of victory with a third goal
late on scored by James Laing. North Sea United scored eight times in their demolition
of Tydd St Mary at the Camp. The goals came from Stewart Kane who hit four,
Mo Boukassi, Sonny Cheema, Roger Smith and Ade Sanya. Final score was 8-2. Cropley’s Suzuki Division Two
Freiston remain top of the table following a 1-0 home
win against Spalding Harriers. The only goal of the game came on the
half-hour mark when Dean Seiner beat the offside trap before firing past the
keeper. The Spalding side had a great chance to equalise five minutes later
but the opportunity went begging. The Harriers were awarded a penalty when
the referee decided that a tussle between defender, Paul Frestle and a
visiting forward warranted a spot-kick. Frestle received his marching orders
for the offence but the Spalding side squandered another golden chance by
dispatching the penalty wide of the target. Freiston thought they should have
been awarded a penalty themselves early in the second half when Jamie Skinner
was felled in the box from behind but the referee was unmoved. Freiston went
close to increasing their lead midway through the second half but the effort
came back off the upright. Four players also received yellow cards as the
game remained very competitive. Freiston, who had played for over an hour
with just ten men were mightily relieved to hear the final whistle especially
as the referee had deemed it appropriate to have added an additional ten
minutes at the end of the game. Final score was 1-0. There was another single-goal victory at Fosdyke where
Black Bull defeated Sutterton 1-0 in a game of few chances. Windy conditions
meant that the ball was in the Sutterton half for the majority of the first
period although they defended well. The breakthrough followed a set-piece and
although goalkeeper Nicholls saved well at the feet of an attacker, the ball
broke for Andy McGuire who rolled the ball into an empty net. With the wind
in their favour, Sutterton attacked after the break but couldn’t find a way
through a well organised Black Bull defence. Substitute Povey dragged his
shot wide when well placed and Ady Barnett’s effort from just inside his own
half was palmed over by the keeper. Sutterton almost snatched the point they
probably deserved in the dying seconds but Carl Duncan’s glancing header
didn’t carry enough power to beat the keeper. Final score was 1-0. Wainfleet United had Phil Simpson to thank for their
three-point haul when they too recorded a 1-0 victory, this time it was away
from home. Simpson’s 20-yarder five minutes from time denied Park United a
share of the points. Andrew Money and Lee Marshall both scored twice in
Woodhall Spa’s 4-1 home win against Fosdyke. Woodhall opened the scoring
after 15 minutes before leading scorer, Andy Brown levelled for Fosdyke. The
home side regained their lead just before the break and rocked their
opponents with a third early in the second half. A fourth strike twenty
minutes later sealed the win although Fosdyke pulled a goal back through Dave
Pell to make the final score 4-2. Cropley’s Suzuki Division Three Marshalls hit double figures in their home fixture against
bottom-of-the-table side, Mareham United Reserves. Daniel Warren got the
scoreboard rolling after 10 minutes following good work from Daniel White who
rounded the keeper before squaring the ball across the goal for an easy
tap-in. White created an action replay of the first goal with Warren again
being the grateful scorer. Michael Gardner made it 3-0 before slick work
between Gardner and White provided Warren with the fourth goal. Gardner
slotted home the fifth while Ashley Murrell completed the first half scoring
with a far post header following a corner. Craig Spooner came off the bench
to fire home the seventh five minutes after the break and the same player
added another following a move involving Gardner. Spooner was wasting no time
in making his mark and he completed his hat-trick after an assist from Marc
Cosgrove. Not to be outdone, Gardner claimed his treble to make it 10-0 and
Stacy Cartwright completed the scoring when he rounded two defenders before
slotting the ball home into the bottom corner. Final score was 11-0. Goals from Neil Timby and Troy Ayton secured a fine 2-1
away win for Freiston Reserves at Old Doningtonians Reserves. The home side
replied through Sean Scott. Super-sub, Darren Tate grabbed both of the Nortoft
United goals at Westside Rangers Reserves in a 2-0 away win. Westside had
started strongly and their fluent football saw them dominate the opening
period. Nortoft changed their formation after the break and they took control
of the game. The breakthrough came when Simon Moses won two tackles on the
edge of the box before the ball broke to the lively substitute Tate who
finished clinically. Dean Stevens and Chris Parker both went close to
increasing Nortoft’s lead with long-range efforts before Tate popped up with
his second goal of the game when he converted a Steve Burdass free-kick at
the far post. A late Daniel Smith goal salvaged a point for Friskney
in their home game against Holbeach United Social. The match finished with a
1-1 scoreline. Barclays Brokers Willoughby Shield semi-finals
There will be a repeat showing of the Reserve Cup final
as Swineshead Reserves and Coningsby Reserves both came through their
semi-final ties unscathed. The two teams will have to go some, however, if
they are to beat the excitement generated by the previous final. Swineshead Reserves will be looking to avenge their
extra time defeat after they comfortably saw off the challenge of Kirton Town
Reserves at home. Alex Kirkham and Ryan Barker both netted two goals apiece
for Swineshead in a 5-1 home win. Ashley Brighton was also on target for the
home side while Adrain Dobrinski replied for Town. Richard
Grimshaw-Else also scored two goals for Coningsby Reserves as they defeated
Billinghay Athletic Reserves 4-1 at home. Danny Cottingham and Gary Patrick
were also on target for the Reserve Cup holders. |
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March 17 Cropley’s Suzuki Premier Division Billinghay Athletic narrowly defeated Spilsby Town at
home by 2-1 thanks to goals from Pete Dickinson and Gary Cochrane. Spilsby
replied through Gary McGilloway. Kirton Town and Skegness Town Reserves shared the points in a 1-1 draw at Graves Park. Michael Collins grabbed the Kirton goal while Ben Etches replied for the visitors. Coningsby’s indifferent form in the league continued
with a 2-1 home defeat at the hands of Sleaford Town Reserves. The visitors
were 1-0 ahead by the interval and they added another one in the second half
before Martin Lynch gave Coningsby a brief glimmer of hope. Sleaford held
onto their slender lead to take the maximum points and move up to third place
in the table. Cropley’s Suzuki Division One West End Tigers secured the point they needed for them
to lift the Division One championship trophy when they drew 2-2 with
Fishtoft. Steve Favell opened the scoring for the leaders in the first half
and they increased their lead early in the second half through Nathan Padley.
Fishtoft got back into the game when goalkeeper Ben Shaw’s giant clearance
caused problems in the West End box and the ball ended up in the net.
Fishtoft’s back four remained resilient throughout the second half and they
grabbed a well-deserved equaliser when Mark Ryan’s cross found Pete Coonan
who found the net with a well taken diving header. Fishtoft finished the game
strongly but the day belonged to the Tigers who can now look forward to life
in the top flight. Boston Saturday League chairman, Roger Gell presented West
End Tigers with their Division One trophy after the game. Tydd St Mary didn’t travel well last Saturday when they
made the journey to Old Doningtonians. Seven goals found the visitors’ net in
a disappointing 7-1 defeat. Steve Burdall and Martin Fox grabbed two goals
apiece while the other strikes came from Dave Slaughter, Keith England and
Andy Barnett. Spalding Town enjoyed a worthwhile trip to North Sea
Camp when they returned home with maximum points following a 2-1 victory. In
a game dictated by the strong wind The Camp took a first half lead through Mo
Boukassi before Spalding took control after the break. Dave Simpson brought
the scores level and Tom Cherry popped up with the winner to give the
visitors a hard fought victory. Westside Rangers remain in second spot after a 3-1 home
victory against Holbeach Bank. Jody Betts, D J Wright and Kevin Manning were
on target for Rangers. Cropley’s Suzuki Division Two Freiston returned to the top of the table after
returning home from Mareham United with a valuable three-point haul following
a hard fought 3-0 victory. Mareham started well and went desperately close to
taking the lead when they had two shots cleared off the line. Freiston slowly
gained control of the midfield area but couldn’t find a breakthrough until
five minutes before the break when Aston Chase converted a left wing cross.
The visitors went 2-0 ahead five minutes after the break when Dean Seiner
burst through before drilling the ball low into the net. Mareham had their
chances to get back into the game but they squandered some decent
opportunities before Freiston wrapped up the scoring with five minutes
remaining when a strong run from Jamie Skinner saw his cross headed home by
Seiner for his second goal of the game. Final score was 3-0. Kirton Town Reserves repeated their first team’s
scoreline when they drew 1-1 at Park Road Old Boys. After a goalless first
half Kirton opened the scoring through Cliff Langham before Park Road rescued
a point with an equaliser from Paul Colton. This was Colton’s first start of
the season for the Old Boys who will be hoping that the big striker can score
some more important goals as they bid to get away from the lower reaches of
the division. Wainfleet United bounced back from being two goals down
to salvage a point when they entertained Woodhall Spa United. The home side
were left shell-shocked as Woodhall stormed into a 2-0 lead inside the
opening ten minutes and the visitors held onto their two-goal advantage until
after the break. Lee Johnson finally pulled a goal back for Wainfleet five
minutes into the second period and Michael Parnham’s header levelled to make
the final score 2-2. In-form Sutterton, gained their third successive victory
with a hard fought victory over basement side Park United. Although Sutterton
started well enough it was Park who opened the scoring after twenty five
minutes when Robert Muztal scored and the visitors who were boosted by this
opener continued on top as Sutterton lost their way somewhat. After Park had
gone close to increasing their lead on several occasions Sutterton bounced
back with an equaliser five minutes before the break when Gavin Rhodes
capitalized on some hesitant defending before firing home. Sutterton improved
greatly after the break but they squandered some golden opportunities before
the in-form, Steve Kerslake edged his side in front. Carl Duncan’s
cross-field ball found Kerslake lurking at the far post and the striker
finished in style from 10 yards out. The goalscorer was then injured with
just seven minutes remaining in an innocent looking challenge and play was
delayed for twenty minutes while an ambulance arrived to ferry the stricken
player to hospital. When play
restarted the action was very subdued although Scott Jackson went close to
adding a third for Sutterton but his thumping effort struck the crossbar.
Final score was 2-1. Sutterton were much appreciative for the first aid
attention made available by the Park United staff to the injured Kerslake. Cropley’s Suzuki Division Three Marshalls avenged an early season defeat by opponents
Billinghay Reserves at Rosebery Avenue to remain on top of the table. From
the outset Marshalls got the ball down on the deck and strung some fine moves
together. Michael Gardner who pounced on a defensive error before coolly
rounding the keeper and slotting the ball home broke the deadlock. A fine
individual effort from Daniel White doubled the lead before the interval and
Marshalls continued the dominant force after the break. The third goal turned
out to be the best of the game as Danny Warren and Mark Melson linked up
before providing Gardner with the chance to beat two defenders and rifle home
his second goal of the game. Final score was 3-0. Park United Reserves found it tough going at Freiston
Reserves, going down 9-1 with home striker, Troy Ayton scoring four of his
side’s goals. Jonathan Padley, Lee Hoff, Scott Francis, Gary Hoyles and Jamie
Button all got on the scoresheet in their resounding victory. Two players scored all of the goals for Wrangle United
Reserves in their 7-2 home win against Westside Rangers Reserves. Paul
Alexander hit four while Jimmy Britton grabbed a hat-trick in a convincing
home victory. Westside replied through Mark Haynes and Matt Lee. Barclays Brokers Willoughby Cup semi-final Old Leake had the daunting task of travelling to an
ever-improving Wyberton side in an attempt to cause a cup upset. The formbook
was not turned upside down as Wyberton overpowered their opponents in a 7-0
scoreline. Sam Louth struck a fine hat-trick while Lee Dakin grabbed a
double. Mark Crozier and Shaun Dawson were also on target for Wyberton. Croft United had
a strong wind behind them during the first half of their semi final tie at
Swineshead and the home team had difficulty in getting out of their own half.
Swineshead defended well, however, and they kept their opponents at bay in a
goalless first period. Croft had earlier squandered a golden chance to take a
first half lead but they missed a penalty after 15 minutes following a
handball decision. Swineshead’s only real chance fell to Benn Houghton just
before half-time but he dragged a shot wide of the mark. Swineshead should have
forced the pace after the break with the wind blowing in their favour but it
was Croft who pulled the strings. The visitors scored twice in the opening 15
minutes of the second half and they held onto that lead until the dying
moments of the game when Benn Houghton pulled a goal back in injury time. Barclays Brokers Willoughby Shield Spilsby Town Reserves started brightly enough in their
home tie against Coningsby Reserves and they took an early lead when a Matt
Barker through pass found Glen Hislop who side footed home from just outside
the box. Major defensive errors, however, proved to be Town’s downfall and
visiting striker, Richard Grimshaw-Else took full advantage as his finishing
power saw Coningsby chalk up a 4-1 lead by half time. A second half penalty
made the final score 5-1. |
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March 10 Cropley’s Suzuki
Premier Division Coningsby had a 3-1 away win at Sleaford Town Reserves.
After Coningsby Reserves success in their final, the first team went a step closer
to repeating their triumph, producing their best performance of the season
just when it mattered. It was Sleaford who opened the scoring when they were
awarded a free-kick on the edge of the box minutes which Lee Llewelyn hit
exquisitely into the net. Coningsby levelled 10 minutes into the second half
with a free-kick from almost the same spot as Sleaford’s opener, with Lee
Croft scoring. Dave Hone then put Coningsby ahead when he headed home from
close range after a corner had been flicked on. And the visitors clinched
victory with a third goal when Daniel Lang headed home from a yard out. Meanwhile, right at the top of the tree, Kurt Crossley
and Joe Harris scored the all-important goals in Croft United’s 2-0 victory
over Billinghay Athletic in the tie played at Woodhlall Spa. Cropley’s Suzuki
Division One
Cropley’s Suzuki
Division Two
Cropley’s Suzuki
Division Three
March 7 Main Ridge Take Away
Reserve Cup final The final of the Main Ridge Take Away Reserve Cup at
Boston Town’s Tattershall Road ground on March 7 proved a wonderful
advertisement for the Boston Saturday League as Division One side Swineshead
Reserves and Coningsby Reserves of Division Two produced an exciting
encounter. And, after a see-saw thriller, it was underdogs Coningsby who
lifted the trophy after coming from behind three times before snatching
victory in extra time. Swineshead started off at a tremendous pace as
Coningsby struggled to cope with the darting runs of Jack Houghton, Ryan
Barker and Andy Thompson. Unsurprisingly, Swineshead took the lead after 10
minutes when Houghton squirmed free of his marker before firing home.
Coningsby keeper, Andy Yeomans, then came to his side’s rescue when he
bravely saved at the feet of the marauding Houghton. Coningsby’s only efforts
in the opening 20 minutes saw two long-range shots drift high or wide.
Coningsby were dealt a blow after 25 minutes when striker Richard
Grimshaw-Else was forced to leave the action with facial injury after
colliding with a team-mate. Coningsby equalised five minutes before the break
when Carl Wilson slotted home following a cross from the right flank. But
Swineshead regained the lead within a minute of the start of the second half
when Houghton got control of a loose ball on the right side of the box before
drilling home. Coningsby roared back with another equaliser 10 minutes later
when Gary Patrick headed the ball home and the game continued in ebb-and-flow
fashion before Barker put Swineshead back in front when he burst through the
middle and fired in. Carl Wilson saved the day for Coningsby with an equaliser
in the 80th minute when he danced his way into the box from the right hand
side of the area before slipping the ball past the keeper. In extra time
Houghton went close for Swineshead when he wriggled clear of his marker
before clipping a shot against the outside of the post, but it was Coningsby
who scored a fourth goal. Danny Hurst’s free-kick wasn’t cleared by the
Swineshead defence and the ball fell for Graham McMahon who produced a superb
shot into the right hand corner. In the second half of extra time, Yeomans
again saved at the feet of Houghton and Andy Thompson lifted a shot over the
bar when he found himself in the clear. Their final chance fell to Houghton
in the dying moments, but Yeomans blocked the shot to send the Coningsby Camp
into party-mood. Brian Smith presented the trophy to Coningsby whose striker
Carl Wilson was voted man-of-the-match. |
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March 3 Waterlogged pitches caused the postponement
of seven Cropley’s Suzuki Boston League fixtures on Saturday. Each of the
four divisions suffered the loss of at least one match while the Barclays
Brokers Willoughby Shield also had one tie that could not go ahead. The Premier Division programme took the most
casualties due to the weather with three games being called off — Wyberton’s
home game against Gedney Drove End, Spilsby Town’s game against Coningsby and
the Croft versus Billinghay table-topping clash. Kirton Town found out that Lady Luck seldom
smiles when you’re struggling. Despite taking an early lead through Richard
Borrill, Town’s opponents Sleaford levelled before the break through Ben
Elkington. The visitors looked like getting a point until a late winner from
Craig Machin. Amazingly, there was still time for Kirton to have rescued a
point when they were awarded a penalty, but Borrill’s spot-kick was well
saved. Westside Rangers dented West End Tigers
title hopes as the leaders were forced to put the champagne on ice for at
least another week. Rangers dominated the early exchanges and were rewarded
with a penalty that D J Wright coolly slotted home. West End re-shuffled
their ranks but soon found themselves 2-0 down when Danny Beecham popped up
in the box to finish in style. West End pushed forward after the break and
reduced the arrears with a header from a corner. Rangers restored their
two-goal advantage shortly afterwards when birthday boy Kev Manning
celebrated his 30th in style with a cool finish at the back post. The game continued
flowing from end to end with defences dominating and Rangers held on to the
three points. Final score was 3-1. Marcin Minczynski and Adam Fuller hit the
goals for Spalding Harriers in their 2-2 home draw against Wainfleet United.
The Spalding side were just seconds away from victory when Phil Simpson
struck a dramatic equaliser. Wainfleet’s other goal came from Rob Perry’s
header. Park Road Old Boys recovered from a goal
down to bounce back and take three valuable points when they entertained Park
United. Ben Crane levelled the scores before the interval and Ian Walsham
came off the bench to put his side 2-1 ahead. Craig Andrews made it 3-1
before Crane scored his second goal of the game to secure a much-needed win
for The Old Boys. Marshalls reclaimed top spot after a 4-0
away win at Westside Rangers Reserves. Marshalls struggled to get going on
the heavy surface although they somehow managed to score twice before the
break. Craig Spooner opened the scoring 10 minutes before the break and a
Stacey Cartwright penalty made it 2-0 at half-time. Marshalls improved after
the break and Justin Reynolds added a third before Spooner claimed his second
goal of the game to make it 4-0. Westside’s keeper produced a string of fine
saves to prevent Marshalls from adding to their score. Old Doningtonians Reserves from Division
Three put up a brave fight against Division Two side Kirton Town Reserves in
their round two encounter. Goals from George Skafidas and Andy Barnett forced
the tie into extra time before Town snatched victory with a late winner.
Kirton’s goals came from Adrain Dobrinski (2) and Simon Collins. |
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