Holbeach United 1 Quorn 2
Two goals in the final 20 minutes sentenced Holbeach United to a 2-1 home defeat against Quorn on Saturday.
In what was their first home game of the new Uhlsport UCL Premier Division North season, the Tigers made the perfect start when skipper Nick Jackson headed home from a corner on nine minutes.
Quorn ex-pro Luke Varney, who lists Leeds United among his former clubs, then blazed a penalty over the bar at Carter’s Park as the Tigers held their lead until the half-time interval.
A great save from Ricky Drury then denied Varney and Jackson made as superb goalline clearance as Holbeach held on, but they were eventually breached on 71 minutes.
Following a big scramble in the box it was Chib Chilaka who got the final touch and hauled the Leicestershire side level.
Worse was to follow as, with just five minutes remaining, Brandon Fox fired home to complete the visitors’ comeback and pinch all three points.
For Phil Barnes’ Holbeach, it’s now just one point after four games and they sit 14th in the standings.
A deflated Barnes said: “We did well in the first half and deserved to be ahead, but they were the better side in the second half.
“The lads gave us absolutely everything and put so much effort into the match, so I feel so disappointed for them.
“They deserved better, I felt a draw would have been the right result on the day.
“The way the winner came about was just such a blow too, having battled so well. But these things can happen.
“A lot of people have Quorn down as a side who should be up there at the top and we pushed them, so we can take some comfort from that.
“It remains to be seen if that prediction is accurate, but all I can say is that we felt a draw would have been a fair reflection.
“Obviously we’ve had a tough start and we wanted to get that first win, but we have plenty of reasons to be happy with the performance.
“I think we’re one of many teams suffering from selection problems at the moment and it’s proving very difficult to get our strongest team out at present.”
Tigers: Drury, Wilson, Cartwright (Wirkowski), Richardson, N Jackson (K Jackson), Nicholson, Keeble (Carter), Barnes, Bayliss, Eyett, Coote. Sub not used: Foster.
