The Voice of Spalding and South Holland
Deeping Rangers 1
Holbeach United 3
Red-hot Holbeach United produced a stirring second-half comeback to hand Lincolnshire rivals Deeping Rangers their first home defeat of the UCL Premier Division season on Tuesday night – and climb up to second in the table.
A first-half strike from Luke Hunnings (36) put Rangers ahead at the interval in what was a wind-hit derby at The Haydon Whitham Stadium.
But The Tigers roared back in the second half and levelled when Josh Ford buried an Andrew Tidswell free kick with 20 minutes left.
Sub Tom Gosling then turned home a Gary King cross to put the visitors ahead on 74 minutes, before Ford rounded off the win with his second nine minutes from time.
The win sees Darren Jarvis’ side complete a UCL double over Deeping – and moves them to within seven points of leaders Leicester Nirvana with a game in hand.
A jubilant Jarvis said: “I’m really pleased. To take three points from Deeping Rangers is a big deal in any season, but to take six from two league games is a great achievement.
“The wind played a big part in the game and we struggled a little bit against it in the first half. They were probably worth the half-time lead, but I felt we could have at least grabbed one goal.
“But in the second half we really improved and began playing football in the right areas. Nobody could argue that we didn’t deserve the victory.
LEVELLER: Josh Ford heads home Holbeach’s equaliser on 70 minutes. Photo by JAKE WHITELEY
“Deeping is a very, very hard place to come and get three points – I believe we’re the first to win here in the league this year.
“That says it all really. It was a great effort from the lads and moving up to second in the league is a nice added bonus for us.”
Deeping had the wind behind them in the first period – and made it count with the only goal as Hunnings buried a Jason Kilbride free kick.
That lead lasted all the way up until the 70th minute, when Holbeach levelled from a set-piece of their own. This time it was Ford who headed home a trademark Tidswell delivery.
Not content with a point, Gosling finished off a top move four minutes later when he converted King’s centre to put Holbeach ahead.
The in-form Ford then had the last word, clinically firing a one-on-one chance into the net with nine minutes left.
Tigers: Drury, Worthington, Ward, Gale, Warfield (Dougill 65), Stevens, King, Tidswell, Ford, Clitheroe, Neil (Gosling 55). Not used: Deykin, Roberts.
Attendance: 126.
