The Voice of Spalding and South Holland
Holbeach United 3
ON Chenecks 0
Holbeach United continued their flawless start to the new season with a comfortable 3-0 win over ON Chenecks on Saturday – but boss Seb Hayes insists his side still have an extra 20 per cent to give.
A quick-fire first-half double from frontman Lewis Leckie (pen 18 and 20) gave the Tigers a 2-0 lead at half-time, before the frontman turned provider to tee up Will Bird for the clincher 20 minutes from time.
The victory leaves Holbeach top of the early ChromaSport UCL Premier Division table, but Hayes – ever the tough taskmaster – was still feeling frustrated after the game.
“I expect more from the lads,” said the Holbeach chief. “That’s what I said to them after the game.
“I’m wary of last season – we slipped into losing runs because of performances like this. I don’t want that to happen again.
“No disrespect to ON Chenecks, but when we play the likes of Yaxley, Deeping and Wisbech – the so-called better sides – we can’t play like we did here.
“If we do, we’ll get beat – because we give teams chances.
“Of course there are positives. The strikers were again on-form – that’s nine goals in three games between them now.
“I’m over the moon that we won 3-0, but I want us to be more ruthless.
“To keep a clean sheet – I think that’s ten in 24 games since I’ve been here – is great too.
“I know that I should be happier, but I just know that we are one bad result away from a losing run.
“We had 15 or so good chances, so I’m hoping we’ll become a bit more ruthless.
“I look at the last ten minutes and we were poor, we didn’t get back quick enough because we knew we’d won the game.
“Standards have to be high from the first minute to the last. We were bitty today, I just think there’s an extra 20 per cent still to come.”
DOUBLE: Lewis Leckie grabbed two goals in as many minutes. Photo by JAKE WHITELEY
Holbeach were the better side from the off at Carter’s Park and went close early on when Mitch Griffiths saw his initial effort saved and follow-up deflected into the side-netting.
Leckie then forced a smart save from Janis Lauskinieks after a drilled cross from Bird, before Charley Sanders sent a neat volley wide of the near post.
The deadlock was broken on 18 minutes when a Griffiths cross was handled by a Chenecks defender in the penalty box. Leckie stepped up an emphatically smashed the spot-kick home.
It was 2-0 moments later as, after good work from Bird, Leckie outmuscled his marker and diverted a left-footed effort into the bottom corner.
The chances continued to flow, with Bird’s deflected header clipping the top of the bar and Sanders lashing over following a great chipped pass from Griffiths.
Striker Sanders then sent an almost identical effort over from a classy Bird pass, but at the other end there was a warning for the hosts.
Ricky Drury, who was largely a spectator, superbly tipped an angled Ash Stewart drive past the post on the stroke of half-time to give Holbeach a timely reminder that the game was far from over.
The second half wasn’t quite as eventful, but the Tigers continued to fashion chances.
Sanders curled a long-ranger wide, while Bird saw a great header tipped over following a clever Griffiths cross.
The dangerous Leckie did get a chance to complete his hat-trick, but saw his low drive saved by the legs of Lauskinieks when through on the right.
While the score was 2-0, there was always a worry that Holbeach might blow their advantage – and, but for a super close-range save from Drury to deny Sam Watkins, their lead would have been halved.
You sensed that was Chenecks’ big chance and so it proved, with the Tigers going up the other end and clinching the points.
Leckie produced a powerful run and cross from the right for Bird to bundle home at the back post – keeping alive his record of scoring in every competitive game so far this season.
With 11 goals scored and none conceded in their first three games, Holbeach continue to impress.
But Hayes wants to see more in Wednesday night’s home clash with Peterborough Northern Star (7.45pm).
Tigers: Drury, Jenkins, Jackson, Cartwright (Tinkler 69), Braithwaite, Warfield (Zuerner 61), Griffiths, Smith, Leckie, Sanders (Davies 78), Bird.
