Holbeach United 3
Desborough Town 1
Holbeach United produced a stirring comeback to defeat Desborough Town 3-1 in the UCL Premier Division on Saturday.
Having falling behind to a Leo Adams head on 37 minutes, Josh Ford levelled from the penalty spot on the stroke of half time before firing home his second on the hour.
Sub Nick Jackson then nodded home Andrew Tidswell’s corner ten minutes from time to secure three points for Darren Jarvis’ side.
The win avenges Holbeach’s loss at Desborough on the opening day of the season – and extends their unbeaten run in the league to 13 games.
Jarvis admitted that three points was all that mattered for his side after blowing a 2-0 lead in Wednesday night’s 2-2 draw at Sleaford Town.
He said: “The key thing today, after the PNS draw and Sleaford game – which was heart-breaking – was to get three points.
“I’ll be honest, I didn’t really care how we went about it.
“First half it was very much honours even for me. They deserved their goal and so did we – and to go into half time level when we were below par was pleasing.
“Second half, we played with a lot more tempo, put them under a lot more pressure and played football in the right areas.
“That showed in the end with the goals – and we could have scored one or two more goals.
“But the win was all that I cared about, it keeps our season on-track and makes sure we keep the pressure on other teams in the top three or four.”
Holbeach, who named Lee Beeson on their bench, had a couple of early chances as Jake Clitheroe tested Chris Jones with a low drive and Jordan Thomas saw a goal-bound strike blocked after getting through on the right.
Home keeper Ricky Drury was then called into action to keep out Luke Cummins, but it was the Tigers who were creating the best chances – and they could have gone ahead when Ford narrowly failed to get on the end of a Tidswell cross.
The game then swung in Desborough’s favour, with right winger John Dean coming to the fore. He was incredibly unlucky not to put the visitors ahead when he cut onto his left foot and curled a fine effort past Drury and onto the underside of the bar.
Jake Bettles then glanced a header wide of the top corner with Drury beaten, before Mark Redding blazed over following a fine run and cross from the lively Dean.
The pressure finally told on 37 minutes, with Adams powering a header from a corner on the left into the roof of the net. Drury got a hand to it, but even he couldn’t keep it out.
That seemed to wake the Tigers up and they were unlucky not to level when Tidswell saw a fierce strike from the edge of the box simply hit a wrong-footed Jones after a deflection.
Jones knew much more about his next two saves as he got down low to deny Tidswell on the left, then tipped Thomas’ curling drive wide of the post.
From the resultant corner, skipper Jamie Stevens flicked a volley off the bar, but it looked like the hosts would go in behind at the break.
That was, until Clitheroe showed great strength to get in behind the defence and raced through on goal. His progress was halted by Aaron Davies inside the box and the referee pointed to the spot, but only booked the Ar Tarn defender.
Ford was typically clinical from the spot, sending Jones the wrong way with a powerful strike into the left-hand side of the goal.
The second period wasn’t quite as open, but Holbeach stepped things up a notch.
Ford was unlucky not to double his tally with a first-time snap-shot following a Tidswell pass, with Jones making a squirming save at his near post.
There was nothing the Desborough keeper could do on 59 minutes, though. Dan Worthington and Clitheroe showed great battling qualities on the right, before the ball finally fell to Ford in the area. He made no mistake, blasting home into the bottom corner.
Sub Beeson, who was making his first appearance for the Tigers this season having been with Grantham Town, almost made it 3-1 with a sumptuous volley from Thomas’ cross, but narrowly missed the top corner.
At the other end, Holbeach survived a heart-in-the-mouth moment when Stacy Cartwright’s clearance cannoned off team-mate Ollie Pinner and deflected just wide of his own goal.
It would have been harsh on the hosts, who were very solid in the second period.
They made sure of the points ten minutes from time when Jackson stole in at the near post to head Tidswell’s in-swinging corner into the net.
Jones denied Clitheroe number four with a smart save in the dying seconds, but it mattered little to Holbeach as they registered league win number nine from 14 matches.
They remain 13 points behind leaders Leicester Nirvana in third place ahead of Wednesday’s home date with Lincolnshire rivals Deeping Rangers (7.45pm).
Tigers: Drury, Worthington, Warfield, Pinner (Jackson 76), Cartwright, Stevens, Thomas, Tidswell, Ford, Clitheroe, Ward (Beeson 55). Not used: Roberts.
