Ian Dunn is refusing to rule his Pinchbeck United side out of the ChromaSport Peterborough League Premier Division title race after Saturday’s 5-3 victory at Stilton United.
In a game heavily hit by wind, goals from Dan Woods (2), Liam Ogden (2) and player/boss Dunn helped Pinchbeck battle back from 2-0 down to bag a vital three points.
The victory, Pinchbeck’s ninth from 14 league games, leaves them fifth in the table – some ten points behind leaders Moulton Harrox, having played a game more.
Dunn accepts that his charges are outsiders, but believes wins in their next two games (Leverington at home on Saturday and AFC Stanground at home on December 19) would set up an exciting 2015.
As for Saturday, the former Boston Town chief insists that a victory was the only thing that mattered in the conditions.
“It was so windy that the game was almost called off,” admitted Dunn. “If we hadn’t already travelled and been keen to play, it probably would have been called off, the referee was very apprehensive.
“At 2-0 down 20 minutes in I was wishing he had decided against us playing, too.
“It was one of those games where you just had to make fewer mistakes than the other side. We were sloppy early on and made mistakes, but it’s hard to be critical.
“Eventually we got back into it and got the job done, but it could easily have ended 10-5 to us, or something silly like that.
“All that mattered was going home with the points. We’re now well positioned in the table – and if we can win our next two games it’ll set up an interesting end to the season.
“The likes of Moulton still have to play all of the top sides, so I do think we’ll have a better indication of how the league looks at the end of January.
“We’ve just got to win our last two games of 2015 and keep ourselves in the mix at the top.”
Having fallen 2-0 down, Woods’ fine free kick and Ogden’s 25-yard drive made it 2-2 at half time.
Dunn and striker Tony Edwards then combined superbly for the player/manager to fire Pinchbeck ahead for the first time, only for Stilton to peg them back.
However, Woods cut inside and lashed home number four for the visitors, before Ogden buried a rebound to round-off the rout.
Pinchbeck: McCready, A Murrell, Leggett, Brooks, B Murrell, Gardner, Francis, Odgen, Woods, Dunn, Edwards. Subs: Lawe, Dickinson, Brown.
