The Voice of Spalding and South Holland
Newport Pagnell Town 3
Holbeach United 1
Andrew Tidswell has told his Holbeach United team-mates that they’ll never win the ChromaSport UCL Premier Division title while they continue to show an alarming lack of commitment.
The player/assistant manager was speaking after the Tigers slipped to a costly 3-1 defeat at third-placed Newport Pagnell Town on Saturday.
Goals from Dom Lawless (21) and Daryl Smith (44 and 54) sunk an under-strength Holbeach at Willen Road, with Josh Ford netting a late consolation (80).
Tidswell, who was also captain on the day, wasn’t impressed to see only six of the side that beat Wisbech Town 2-0 on Wednesday start this time around.
The two-time UCL Premier Division winner has blasted a “distinct lack of commitment in the dressing room” and branded the behaviour of some of his team-mates “unacceptable”.
“A lack of commitment from the players is hurting our form,” admitted Tom Roberts’ number two. “I can’t fault the effort from the 11 who played at Pagnell.
“Especially John Smith and Paul Newcombe, who stepped up from the Reserves without hesitation and put in a shift for us – which will see them rewarded with more game time.
“But even those two ran out of legs a little at the end as, with all due respect, the PDFL isn’t a fast-paced game.
“Although the 11 that played deserve credit, I still feel there must be some regret about the result.
“Our real problems lie with a distinct lack of commitment within our changing room.
“It’s unacceptable to have so many players pulling out.
“Matt Warfield, Jordan Thomas and Jake Clitheroe can be excused through injury, but the other players consistently missing games are cheating the team and the club.
“Until a level of commitment and desire comes back, you can rule us out of the title race – you simply can’t win a title with the kind of inconsistencies we have at the moment.
“That’s frustrating as, on our day with everyone available, we have proved that we can beat anyone.
“Sadly, getting everyone available is our downfall.”
Pagnell opened the scoring on 21 minutes when the Tigers switched off from a set-piece and allowed the ball to be held down the side of them for Lawless to squeeze home the finish.
It was 2-0 on the stroke of half time when weak defending from the Tigers at the back post allowed Smith a free header, which he dispatched across Drury.
Holbeach did feel they should have been given a penalty for handball before the half-time whistle, but their appeals fell on deaf ears.
The game was essentially over nine minutes into the second period when Smith got in between Ollie Gale and Chris Ward to side-foot home his second of the day.
That was as good as it got for Pagnell’s Smith, who was given a red card for elbowing Nick Jackson in the face on 70 minutes.
Holbeach did make their numerical advantage pay ten minutes from time when Ford tapped home a rebound after Sean Coughlan’s shot was parried by Mark Osborn.
The loss leaves Holbeach as rank outsiders to win the league this season.
Tigers: Drury, Worthington, John Smith, Gale, Ward, N Jackson, Eyett, Tidswell, Ford, Coughlan, Newcombe. Not used: Russon, Thomas, Roberts, Warfield.
Attendance: 105.
- The defeat was somewhat overshadowed by a car crash after the match, which saw Holbeach physio Harry Ralph and striker Jordan Thomas suffer minor injuries. Holbeach thank the Pagnell management for their help in dealing with the incident.
