Holbeach United will be pleased to complete their Eastern Counties League season on Saturday, when they make the lengthy trip to Essex-based Holland.
It comes after the Tigers suffered back-to-back heavy defeats; 5-1 at title favourites King’s Park Rangers, and 6-0 at home to Framlingham Town on Saturday.
The trip to Holland could be Holbeach’s final game in the league, with another switch expected during the summer. The Tigers have been earmarked for a move to the Spartan South Midlands Football League or a return to the United Counties League.
Despite finishing just above the relegation places, manager Callum Lawe has seen plenty of hope for the future of the club.
“When we came in as a management team, one of our aims was to avoid relegation and secure step six football and we have achieved that,” he said.
“What makes it even more special is the number of young players who have stepped up to this level and contributed along the way.
“Twenty Academy players have been involved in first-team football. That is a huge part of what this club is about and something we will continue to build on.”
The latest young talent was 16-year-old Riley Cole, who came off the bench in Saturday’s defeat. A difficult afternoon for the Tigers saw Danny Smith score four times for the Suffolk side to confirm their play-off place, while salt was rubbed in home wounds with a bizarre own goal that saw goalkeeper Jack Sellars lobbed from distance.
Patrik Kacirek was on target for the Tigers in the midweek defeat against Rangers at Cornard, after the hosts went 3-0 up.
Lawe said: “Their experience showed but we improved in the second half and created more moments and pushed back.
“These are the moments we must learn from.”
Giving an example of the calibre of that experience was home substitute Jamie Cureton. The 50-year-old much-travelled former Norwich City, QPR and Bristol Rovers striker is still banging in the goals at the age of 50.
Tigers (v Kings Park): Sellars, Akyüz Grimwood, Bodibe, Roberts, Carter, Szablowski, Hyde, Wright, Coelho, Kacirek. Subs: O’Sullivan, Garner, Winks, Barnes. Attendance: 98.
Tigers (v Framlingham): Sellars, Akyüz Roberts, Goult, Oldham, Carter, Hyde, Nicholson, Wright, Garner, Coelho. Subs: Shenille, O’Sullivan, Cole, Kacirek, Barnes.
