The Voice of Spalding and South Holland
Holbeach United 0 Wisbech Town 4
UCL Premier Division
KILLER BLOW: Wisbech’s Tony Battersby (number 9) rifles home their second goal. Photo (NIKKI GRIFFIN): VNG210414-51
Holbeach’s UCL Premier Division season ended with a whimper as Wisbech waltzed to a 4-0 Easter Monday victory at Carter’s Park.
Adam Millson (11 & 77), Tony Battersby (45) and Billy Smith (70) all scored for the Fenmen, who avenged a 2-0 home defeat to the Tigers just over a week earlier.
Glen Maddison’s men now must wait and see if they are to achieve their target of a top ten finish, with Desborough Town able to leapfrog them in their game in hand.
A downbeat Maddison said: “It was poor, they outclassed us from the start really. We had an opportunity to get back into it at 2-0, but were never really in it.
“I think we missed Matt Warfield, Tommy Treacher, Luke Hollingworth and Ash Murrell. Those four make a big difference. But it’s just a bit disappointing that we’ve finished the season with two 4-0 defeats.
“We’ve done relatively well this year, I think. A lot of people had us down as relegation candidates, but we’ve been nowhere near that.
“We’ve been a funny side. Over the course of the season we’ve won a block of games, then lost a block. It’s been bizarre really.”
A freak goal on 11 minutes put the Fenmen ahead – not that he knew much about it.
Having raced into the box, Wisbech winger Billy Smith overran the ball and it was walloped clear by a Holbeach defender. However, the clearance ricocheted off ex-Spalding man Millson and into the bottom corner, leaving Leigh Overton helpless.
With the Tigers offering very little going forward, boss Maddison seemed happy enough to get his side in just 1-0 down at the break. But some suicidal defending allowed Tony Battersby, another former Tulip, to waltz through and blast number two into the roof of the net with the final touch of the first half.
The Tigers were much improved in the first 20 minutes of the second period, with winger Frazer Bayliss twice going close. His first effort was comfortably saved by Lea Jordan from distance, before his lobbed volley just dropped the wrong side of the post.
It was game over shortly after, however, as Smith grabbed the goal of the game. The wing wizard rounded Overton on the left hand side of the box before composing himself and curling home a stunning effort into the unguarded net via the far post.
To rub further salt into Holbeach wounds, Millson lashed home a fierce second 13 minutes from time to complete the rout.
Maddison’s men must now hope that Desborough fail to win at Wellingborough Town in their season finale if they are to finish in the top ten.
Tigers: Overton, Delahoy, Mattless, Leggatt, Dunn, Bishop (Elliott 75), Bayliss (Sevilha 79), Reed, Waumsley, Shipley, Sergeant (Keeble 75).
