The Voice of Spalding and South Holland
Reigning holders Tydd St Mary progressed to the semi-final of the Spalding Inter Services Trophy on Saturday with a fine performance against Holbeach A.
With three PDFL divisions separating the two sides, the Saints were always favourites.
However, it was Holbeach that started the game better and they could have gone a goal ahead after just three minutes had it not been for a fine double save by Saints keeper Dave Cooper to keep them at bay.
Saints suddenly woke up after this scare and then began to play their normal free flowing football with Paul Newcombe and Darren Rawthorn pulling the strings in midfield.
They were rewarded on 13 minutes when they took the lead. Newcombe swung a perfect corner in from the left that found Max Burrell to rise at the far post and fire a bullet header into the top right hand corner of the net.
Tydd were playing some superb football now but were repeatedly thwarted by a dogged Tigers defence that wouldn’t give an inch.
That was until just a minute before half-time when Jordan Ainslie managed to keep a ball in play which had seemed a lost cause, to then square perfectly for the prowling Tim Lowe to slot home for 2-0.
The second half was all Tydd with the Saints back four coping with everything that the Tigers could throw at them.
Holbeach began to tire as the half progressed and on 75 minutes James Woods squared for Burrell to slam home his second of the game and make it 3-0.
Burrell had a very good penalty claim waved away by the referee with five minutes remaining as it stayed 3-0 to Saints to the final whistle.
Man of the match for Tydd was Rawthorn who had a great game in the middle of the park.
Tydd co-manager Carl Wilson said: “We played some really good football and looked a good team.
“Respect to Holbeach though, they gave us a good game and didn’t make it easy for us. I’m looking forward to seeing who we get in the next round.”
Tydd were joined in the last four by Crowland Town Reserves who defeated Boston League side Old Dons 4-2 thanks to goals from Simon Acton, Ashton Capes, Jamie Harker and Mykal Hymas.
Six different scorers found the net for Sutton Bridge who were 6-0 winners over Boston League side Holbeach Bank.
Matthew Eaton, Robert Hook, Ben Partridge, Kurt Scott, Joseph Sutton and Matthew Wayman were all on target for the PDFL Division One high-flyers.
