The Voice of Spalding and South Holland
Pinchbeck United 2
Rothwell Corinthians 1
Ten-man Pinchbeck United battled back to secure their first-ever Future Lions UCL Premier Division victory on Saturday.
It looked like visitors Rothwell Corinthians would spoil Pinchbeck’s party when James Stephenson lobbed home a classy opener just before the half hour at the Sir Halley Stewart Playing Field.
Debutant Fraser Bayliss levelled matters with a cool finish on 42 minutes, however, before Ollie Maltby netted what turned out to be the winner from close range in the final minute of the opening period.
The Knights, who had chances to add to their lead after the break, saw skipper Nick Bishop harshly sent off five minutes from time – despite appearing to be on the receiving end of a flailing arm.
Player/boss Dunn felt the incident soured what was a great result for his side – and wasn’t impressed with the performance of the referee.
However, he was pleased to get three points in the club’s maiden appearance at step five of the non-league ladder.
“Do you know what, I’m agitated,” said Dunn. “I’m sure they (Rothwell) are too, because I though the referee could have spoiled a good game.
“There was no animosity between the players, but the referee either let stuff go or blew up for stuff that I just didn’t get.
“I don’t know what to say about his performance. We’ve had a man sent off for doing nothing and I’ve been given three different theories as to why.
“The player was told it was for a head-butt, the assistant said it was a push and then when I went to see the referee he said it was for an elbow. Which one is it?
“They missed what should have been a straight red card in the first half for a two-footed lunge. It was disgraceful that it wasn’t even given as a free-kick.
“It could have spoiled what was a good day. Ricky Lovelace only really had one save to make after the break, while their goal was a mistake on our behalf.
“But we reacted very quickly and we put lots of pressure on after going behind.
“We always looked like scoring and started to get on top and create chances. In the end, we got our reward for persevering.
“To start with, I don’t think we played particularly well. But, when we started getting the ball in behind the full-backs and getting crosses into the box, we knew that we’d cause them problems.
“I thought we dealt with them very well in the second half and I don’t think we looked like conceding, while also having three or four chances that we didn’t take.
“They’ll probably say different, but in the end I thought 2-1 probably flattered them.
“Getting three points on the board is obviously what we wanted from the first game.
“We felt that we were good enough to beat them and it’s a pleasing start and we now move on to Tuesday night (Boston Town away) and want to try and stay unbeaten.
“I thought we were the better side and created the better chances on the day. Other than being frantic in the first half – something we expected on day one – I thought we looked like we belonged.”
After a relatively even start the first chance fell to Rothwell’s Stephenson, who headed over at the back post following a cross from the right.
Pinchbeck’s first effort on goal came from an Andrew Tidswell free-kick, but Martin Thorpe fumbled his low strike and turned the ball behind.
At the other end, keeper Ricky Lovelace had to be alert to deny Stephenson at his near post following some hesitant defending from the hosts.
The chances continued to flow, with the Knights next to go close. Fine work from Bayliss on the left saw the winger fashion a chance for himself – only for Thorpe to deny him at the near post.
The deadlock was finally broken on 28 minutes, with Stephenson taking his third chance. The Rothwell frontman raced onto a long pass and lobbed a clever effort over Lovelace with the outside of his boot.
Maltby almost hit back instantly for Pinchbeck, but he could only direct a volley wide of the post when well-positioned in the centre of the box.
It really should have been 2-0 to Rothwell ten minutes before the break, but Dom Page somehow fired over from close range following a dangerous delivery from the left.
Pinchbeck almost made them pay immediately, but Bayliss was once again denied by a flying Thorpe when unleashing a left-footed effort from just inside the box.
There was no denying Bayliss on 42 minutes, though. He raced onto a Bishop through ball and slotted a low effort past the keeper and into the net, via the inside of the far post.
The Knights them grabbed a half-time lead when Maltby slid in to bury a whipped cross from Aaron Eyett in the final minute of the half – turning the game on its head.
It was Pinchbeck who started the second half much the better, as sub Tom Sergeant sliced a big chance wide of the near post and an offside Maltby screwed a big chance wide.
Defender Jack Smith went event closer with a left-footed effort from a corner, but Thorpe superbly tipped it over with an acrobatic save.
The chances kept coming for the Knights, with a well-placed Sergeant heading a clever Tidswell cross off target. In his defence, it was a difficult one to get on target.
With the hosts struggling to kill off the game, Lovelace again had to be on his game to deny sub Meshac Ogazi, who found himself in plenty of space on the left side of the box.
Five minutes from time Pinchbeck’s task became a little harder, with Bishop sent off following a scuffle that involved a few players. It appeared a harsh call, with the skipper seemingly the one on the receiving end of a blow to the face from Aiden Smith.
It mattered little in the end, as the Knights held on to secure a victory that will live long in the memory.
Pinchbeck are back in action at Boston Town on Tuesday night (7.45pm).
Pinchbeck: Lovelace, Eyett, Wright, Tidswell, Jack Smith, Murrell, Shipley, Bishop, Maltby, Bayliss, Field (Sergeant 46). Not used: Gardner, Clarke, Lawrence, Gordon.
Attendance: 71.
