Holbeach United 3
Oadby Town 2
Nick Conroy was Holbeach United’s hero on Saturday as he pulled off an injury-time penalty save to clinch a thrilling UCL Premier Division win over Oadby Town.
The keeper got down low to his right to deny Louis Hamilton from the spot, in what was essentially the final kick of the Carter’s Park clash.
Oadby had earlier taken a third-minute lead through Sam Hollis, only for Charley Sanders to bury a fine leveller for the Tigers just four minutes later.
Hamilton rifled the visitors back ahead seven minutes into the second period, before a delightful double from Holbeach skipper Jamie Clarke (61 and 70) turned the game on its head.
Conroy’s late heroics then ensured that boss Darren Jarvis could toast back-to-back wins for the first time in his reign at the club – and kept the Tigers in the mix for a top three finish ahead of a derby at Deeping Rangers on Tuesday night (7.45pm).
Jarvis said: “I’m obviously a bit relieved. But I’m also slightly annoyed, because they took a quick throw-in from the wrong position to win the penalty – and it wasn’t even using an official match ball.
“I know that would’ve been sour grapes if the penalty had gone in, but I’m still a little annoyed by it. That being said, it was a great save by Nick.
“Goals change games – and the difference in today’s game was probably Jamie Clarke’s two excellent goals and Nick’s penalty save.
“The boys know that the performance wasn’t quite there and the work-rate in the middle of the park wasn’t there either.
“It wasn’t the best game, but we created some good chances. It’s very hard to play fluent football at this stage of the season when the pitches are how they are.
“I felt that we played well in phases, but on reflection over the 90 minutes I think maybe a draw was the fair result.
“But we took our chances to come from behind again and showed some character. I’m ecstatically happy with another three points and it sets us up nicely to go to Deeping Rangers on Tuesday, where we’ll look to win again.”
Oadby, who are struggling in the lower reaches of the UCL Premier Division, made much the better start at Carter’s Park and deserved their early lead.
It was frontman Hollis who broke the deadlock, skipping past two tackles before rifling a fierce low effort past an exposed Conroy from what was the first genuine chance of the game.
The hosts could have hit back moments later when Andrew Tidswell got in behind the defence on the left-hand side, but his cross for a free Gary King was well blocked.
Holbeach didn’t have to wait too long for the leveller, though. New signing Corey Newman, who has arrived on loan from Boston United, clipped a lovely ball over the top for Sanders, who raced through and finished clinically from the right side of the box.
Then followed a period of stop-start football, with a number of aerial collisions holding play up a little. Oadby keeper Elliot Taylor was really in the wars – including one moment where he kept out a goal-bound Tidswell effort before clattering into a post.
The visitors did have a decent chance to go back ahead just before the interval, but Matt Brown headed over following an expert delivery from former Spalding United ace Callum Earls.
It was more of a spectacle after the interval, with Oadby once again starting much the better. They went close twice before re-taking the lead, as both Earls and Brown saw efforts blocked.
There was no stopping Hamilton’s piledriver on 51 minutes, however, as he fired an unstoppable effort past Conroy from outside of the area.
It could – and perhaps should – have got worse for the hosts too, but Hollis volleyed over from six yards following an inviting cross from Brown.
That seemed to light a fire under the Tigers, who hauled themselves level again on the hour with the goal of the game. King slipped in captain Clarke on the left, with the frontman cutting in onto his right foot before hammering an unstoppable effort into the far top corner.
Not done there, Clarke then fired his side into the lead for the first time with 70 minutes on the clock. The experienced striker somehow generated enough power to head Dan Worthingon’s looping cross into the top corner from ten yards out.
Oadby refused to crumble and were within a whisker of levelling when Brown rattled the near post with a thunderous drive ten minutes from time.
And they probably thought they’d rescued a point when Ben Brown mistimed a tackle on his namesake in the box for a clear penalty with three minutes of added time already played.
Hamilton stepped up, but his spot-kick lacked power and was well pushed away by the sprawling Conroy as Holbeach held on to register a 22nd league victory of the season.
Meanwhile, the Tigers hope to hand a debut to new signing Jack Marsden at Deeping on Tuesday. Marsden played under Jarvis at Peterborough Northern Star and will add another much-needed option to Holbeach’s midfield.
Tigers: Conroy, Worthington, Parker, Brown, Warfield, Newman, Kirby, King, Clarke (Easy 80), Sanders, Tidswell. Not used: Delahoy, Steadman, Chappell.
