Holbeach United 3
Northampton Sileby Rangers 3
A lethal Michael Byrne hat-trick left Holbeach United frustrated on Saturday as they blew a 3-1 lead against Northampton Sileby Rangers in a cracking Carter’s Park clash.
Gary King’s sensational early opener (3) and a typically clinical Andrew Tidswell effort (22) looked to have the Tigers on course for three UCL Premier Division points – and a measure of revenge for last weekend’s 3-1 defeat in the reverse fixture.
Byrne had other ideas and pulled one back with a tidy effort just past the half-hour, only for the impressive King to lash home his second just before the break to restore Holbeach’s two-goal cushion.
Slack marking allowed master marksman Byrne the freedom of the penalty box to hammer home his second five minutes into the second period, before he then half-volleyed a dipping piledriver into the top corner (83) to complete a remarkable treble and secure a point for struggling Sileby.
Downbeat Tigers boss Darren Jarvis felt his side should have won the game, but paid tribute to Byrne’s terrific treble.
He said: “It’s very disappointing,” lamented the Holbeach supremo. “We were 3-1 up at half time without being fantastic.
“But, in areas of the pitch, we were creative, bright and inventive. I perhaps felt we could have been 4-1 up at half time really.
“So, to not see out the game and take three points is hugely disappointing. The boys know that and also know that they’ve kind of let themselves down, to a degree.
“We spoke before the game – and at half time – about the main threat from Sileby and explained that if Byrne got a sniff of goal, he’d be reliable. We didn’t deal with him well at all.
“To be fair, we’ve got players playing out of position due to unavailability – and that didn’t help. We also finished the game with an extremely young back four, Craig Parker was the oldest player in it.
“It was a great equaliser from Byrne and he scored three great goals. But you can’t allow him that kind of space and time – there aren’t many more reliable finishers than him in the UCL.
“We still had enough out on the field to get the win. I mostly feel for the lads, they played some good stuff and that late goal has marred a few great individual performances.
“I though Gary King was superb. He scored two great goals and did everything I could have asked of him and more.
“It’s a shame, I was hoping that I’d be full of positive comments. We wanted to get that win and score a few more goals for the fans.
“We’ll move on. We identified ten points from the final four games as the target – so we’ve now got that draw. All we need to do now is win the final three games, starting with Thurnby on Wednesday.”
Holbeach were missing a few regular faces at Carter’s Park – and were forced to field striker Charley Sanders as an emergency centre back after seeing Matt Warfield ruled out for the rest of the season with a foot injury sustained against Wisbech Town on Easter Monday.
They started superbly, though, with King dispatched a sumptuous left-footed volley into the top corner from just outside the box with just three minutes on the clock.
Sileby had their chances to level, with John Dean screwing an effort across the box when well-placed and Karabo Motshweni lashing an angled drive well over the bar.
The Tigers always looked the more likely to score next and duly obliged on 22 minutes. Fine play from Paul Newcombe – who was lively on a rare start for the first team – and Aidan Kirby saw the latter deliver a cross for Tidswell, who dispatched a low drive into the corner after some suspect Sileby defending.
It was far from game over, however, with the visitors hauling themselves back into the contest just past the half hour mark. A clever through ball from charismatic Rangers full back Dom Okpanu gave Byrne the chance to run in behind – and he duly slotted past Nick Conroy, via the inside of the post.
Moments later Conroy won a duel with Byrne, with the frontman lashing an effort straight at him when clean through once again.
At the other end, dynamic play from Craig Parker on the left led to a cross finding Tidswell. His lay-off picked out King, who rifled his second low into the corner to make it 3-1 two minutes before the interval.
There was still time for Conroy to tip a Mark Forbes free kick over, before denying the predatory Byrne from close range following the resultant corner.
The Holbeach keeper wasn’t able to do anything to stop Byrne five minutes into the second period, though, as he controlled a cross and dispatched his second of the afternoon into the net.
It had been coming, with Stuart McMichael missing a gilt-edged opportunity seconds earlier.
Not quite as impressive as they were in the first period, the Tigers didn’t create much in the second 45. Their best effort came from Newcombe, who was denied a spectacular goal by the fingertips of sprawling keeper Quincy Shorumno.
Young gun Jordan Keeble also fired an effort over after being played in by Kirby, but it was Sileby who had the last word. Byrne rolled his man on the right side of the box and struck a bouncing ball, with his weaker foot, into the top corner from 22 yards.
It was an absolute screamer – but the strike left Holbeach reeling, as their winless run stretched to four games ahead of Wednesday night’s tough home test against third-placed Thurnby Nirvana (7.45pm).
Tigers: Conroy, Worthington, Delahoy, Brown (G Chappell 46), Sanders, Kirby, Newcombe, King, Clarke (Keeble 77), Tidswell, Parker.
