Newstead strikes as Knights show promise

Pinchbeck United are finally off the mark in terms of goals in the Kingfisher Lighting Premier Division Cup but the wait for a win goes on despite an encouraging performance on Saturday.

The Knights went down 2-1 to GNG Oadby Town in their penultimate fixture in the competition.

Goals from Rian Patel and Matthew Baird inside the opening half hour put the visitors to the Sir Halley Stewart in control.

But Craig Newstead hit back just before the break to make it 2-1.

Pinchbeck were unable to find an equaliser against an Oadby side that now top the group.

But manager Lewis Thorogood was encouraged by the performance.

“Nobody wants to lose a game of football at any age, but it was promising as we looked like a threat going forward,” he said.

“I’ve probably only seen glimpses of that a couple of times since I’ve been here, so it was encouraging to see it throughout.

“We were very disappointed to concede a couple more goals but we’ve often capitulated in those circumstances and conceded more. But we kept going forward and scored just a few minutes before half time.

“It was like a weight came off the shoulders and we carried that on into the second half. We didn’t look like we were going to concede and we spent significant periods of time in the Oadby half. We’re disappointed to lose and we want to stop the streak but it was encouraging.”

Pinchbeck take on Lutterworth Town in their final match of the competition this Saturday and after four defeats in four they can’t qualify for the knockout stages.

But at least one more friendly is to follow against March Town with more in the pipeline.

Thorogood added: “If we do continue to build on what we’ve done it gives us a quandary. If the lads are continuing to gel and grow together as a group what do we do about the three or four-week break between the end of this competition and the competitive pre-season starting.

“We don’t want to overwork them but we don’t want to have that break and then go back to square one.”