Pinchbeck Utd 2
Potton Utd 1
Ollie Maltby’s late winner fired table-topping Pinchbeck United to a 2-1 triumph over Potton United on Saturday – and clinched them promotion to the ChromaSport UCL Premier Division.
The Knights, who are in their first-ever season in UCL Division One, are now just one point away from sealing the title after a hard-fought victory over their nearest rivals at the Sir Halley Stewart Playing Field.
In what was a tight tussle throughout, Aaron Eyett’s clinical 33rd-minute strike gave Pinchbeck a half-time lead. The champagne looked to be on ice when Potton levelled through Danny Webb 15 minutes from time, but Maltby prodded home an Andrew Tidswell free-kick from close range in the closing stages to give the hosts their moment.
Player/boss Ian Dunn, who admits that the achievement hasn’t quite sunk in yet, felt it was fitting that the long-serving Maltby got the decisive goal for his side.
Dunn said: “How on earth have we done this? That is what (number two) Allan Ross and I said to each other on the way off the pitch.
“Potton came off today calling us a rugby team. Do you know what? We probably are the best rugby team in the league. But we still beat them.
“I keep saying it, we find a way of winning games. It was a game of limited chances for both teams with neither keeper having a save to make.
“Their goal was a good move, but – if I’m honest – I didn’t see it coming. But we said before the game that set-pieces be crucial and so it proved.
“They’ve got a keeper that isn’t very good at coming off his line and we put in the right area to ask the question.
“I think that it was fitting that Ollie Maltby got the winner. He’s been with us a long time. Obviously he had that year at Moulton that we haven’t forgiven him for – but he came back and has been top scorer and got the goal that got us promoted.”
On the first warm afternoon at the Sir Halley in some time, it took 25 minutes for either side to genuinely threaten after a cagey opening.
It was Pinchbeck who fashioned the first chance when Liam Ogden raced down the left and crossed for Eyett, but the frontman was unable to get any contact on the ball.
There was no let off for Potton on 33 minutes, however, as Eyett gave the Knights the lead. He used his pace to run onto a low Tom Sergeant pass and fired the opener low across the visiting keeper.
It was the only genuine moment of quality in a first half that neither side was able to boss.
After the break, it all kicked off when the Potton bench were unhappy with a Nick Bishop challenge. They wanted a red card – but it was the visiting boss Steve Kuhne who was send to the stands for reaction to the incident.
The sides cancelled each other out for much of the second period, with neither able to seize command or create anything of note.
That was until the 75th minute, when Potton’s Webb levelled out of nowhere. From almost the exact same potion Eyett scored from, he sold keeper Dan Swan a dummy and slotted a low leveller into the net.
Parity didn’t last long, however, as a Tidswell free-kick wreaked havoc in the home defence and Maltby was on hand to turn the ball over the line from close range with five minutes remaining.
It proved to be the goal that clinched a historic promotion for the Knights and sparked wild celebrations at the final whistle.
Assistant boss Ross, who was over the moon, added: “We executed the gameplan fantastically; it’s not fluke that we limited them. It was vital that we didn’t lose this game.
“I’ve never said this publicly before and this isn’t arrogance, but I feel like we won the league against Buckingham Town at home (November 25). We’d just won away at Raunds and I genuinely thought that we’d go on and win the title if we stayed consistent.
“Ability is such a broad word. Be we have people who had the ability to come into Pinchbeck, buy into what our vision was, adapt, be coachable and give 100 per cent every time you play. These boys have put us on the map.
“We had some sort of idea to eventually play UCL football here. But to achieve back-to-back promotions and get to the UCL Premier Division is amazing, we’re now used to this success.
“We work harder than everybody else and it’s fitting that we secured promotion by scoring a late goal. We don’t know how to stop and we have drilled that into these lads.
“I’m so proud to be a part of this team and this football club. We don’t have a committee and we don’t have this budget that everyone talks about.
“But we do have heart, desire and a willingness to work for each other. A budget can’t buy you that.
“We’ve achieved something special here and that’s purely down to the dedication of everyone. We don’t have a day off. We eat, sleep and breathe this football club and (chairman) Gary Coomes has bought into what we want to achieve and he’s been amazing for us. He’s allowed us to do our thing.
“What sort of brand of football is there? Is there a rule book that says you have to play a certain way? If you’re a chairman, surely you just want winning football?
“We’ve lost two matches in 33 games. Forget about the 23 unbeaten, we’ve lost two in 33! The stats don’t lie.
“Our vision was aim for the sky and you’ll land on the moon. To be honest, we’re in space at the minute and we deserve everything that we’ve got. It’s no fluke.”
Pinchbeck now need just a point at Thrapston Town on Tuesday night to seal the title (7.45pm).
Pinchbeck: Swan, Sergeant, Wright, Murrell, Jack Smith, Tidswell, Shipley, Bishop (Josh Smith 83), Ogden, Eyett, Maltby. Not used: Gordon, Dunn, Gardner, Clarke.
Attendance: 127.
