A long trip to South Yorkshire brought no reward for Pinchbeck United in Division One of the United Counties League on Saturday as they fell to a 4-0 defeat at Maltby.
A battling display from a young Knights team saw them hold their own for much of the game before being caught out on the break.
They fell behind after 24 minutes but were unlucky not to be all square at half-time after Josh Balding, Lynden Huggins and Josh Panton had shots blocked.
Marshall Young lobbed the home goalkeeper but the ball bounced off the bar and then Balding’s header was cleared off the line. It was 2-0 on the hour-mark when the Knights were caught out and a long-range effort with 11 minutes to go sealed things. An 85th-minute scramble ended with a fourth goal for the hosts.
Pinchbeck remain bottom of the table, despite doubling their points tally for the season with a 1-1 draw against West Bridgford on Tuesday.
JJ Ward twice went close before the visitors took a 32nd-minute lead. Logan Waby broke through just before half-time but shot wide. The equaliser came seven minutes into the second half when Josh Panton crossed for Louie Garner to tap home.
Knights (v Maltby): Hetherington-Field, Tarver, Dale, Melson, Huggins, Balding, Panton, Young, Waby, Mead, Ward.
Subs: Balodis, Banhire, Buffong. Attendance: 73.
Knights (v West Bridgford): Cox, Tarver, Dale, Panton, Balding, Huggins, Young, Melson, Waby, Garner, Ward.
Subs: Yenebertiz, Balodis, Buffong, Hetherington-Field.
Attendance: 80.
