New system does the trick as Pinchbeck United close in on fourth place with victory

Leicester Nirvana 1
Pinchbeck United 3

Pinchbeck United strengthened their grip on fourth place in the Future Lions UCL Premier Division with an impressive 3-1 victory at Leicester Nirvana on Saturday.

Despite falling behind to Shaquille Master’s 34th-minute strike at Hamilton Park, second-half goals from Ollie Maltby (50), Charlie West (73) and Alex Beck (90) fired the Knights to all three points.

With results elsewhere also going their way, Ian Dunn’s side are now six points clear in fourth position with just three games left to play.

The Pinchbeck player/boss wasn’t overly impressed with what he saw in the first period, but admitted that his side eventually looked comfortable at a venue that is notoriously tough for away teams to win at.

Dunn said: “We were the better side in the first 15 minutes or so, but we didn’t punish them and Nirvana grew into the game.

“Their goal was potentially avoidable and, to be honest, we weren’t stopping them playing and it was too easy for them. They are pretty comfortable on the ball and like to play it around.

“We let them do that until the second half, but we soon got tighter and pressed them a bit better.

“We played about 15 yards higher up the pitch after the break as we had been too deep in the first half.

“The equaliser soon came when Alex Beck chased the ball down the channel and Ollie Maltby met the cross well on the volley.

“Lee Beeson’s free-kick then created our second goal as Luke Wilson made a challenge at the far post and the ball hit Charlie West in the face and went in.

“It was a little bit of luck, but he was in the right place at the right time.

“Beck’s last minute goal came from hesitation between a defender and the keeper, which allowed him to put the ball into the empty net.

“We looked comfortable in the end, which was encouraging because we tried out a new system.

“It’s important to try new things and I’m happy with how the new system worked.”

Knights: Gorman, Wilson, Field, Jackson (Ross 54), Cartwright, Beeson, Vince, Shipley (West 56), Maltby, Beck, Nuttell (Gaukroger 90). Not used: Dunn.