Wellingborough Town 2 Holbeach United 1
A freak goal from Reece Brown denied Holbeach a deserved share of the spoils at the Dog and Duck on Tuesday night.
The Wellingborough man looped a cross-cum-shot into the far top corner 20 minutes from time, leaving the Tigers with an uphill task to seal a top ten finish in the UCL Premier Division.
Nat Liburd had fired the hosts ahead on 20 minutes, only for the in-form Frazer Bayliss to lash home a leveller 12 minutes later.
Holbeach had their chances to win it, but Reece’s lucky late strike ended their two-game winning run.
Rueful boss Glen Maddison said: “It wasn’t a great game if I’m truthful. The pitch was very hard and dusty, which didn’t help either side.
“But I honestly don’t know how we lost the game.
“We didn’t really get going in the first half, but they didn’t really create much either.
“After falling behind, we battled back and got ourselves level – but sadly we didn’t show enough quality to go on and win it.
“We at least deserved a draw from the game. No disrespect to Wellingborough, but it was a great opportunity to get three points and keep our run going.
“The winner was a real sickener. The guy crossed one in and it just looped over Leigh Overton’s head and into the top corner.
“After doing so well against Desborough and Wisbech in our last two games, it’s a real shame we have lost a bit of momentum ahead of the final few games.
“I think we maybe went too long and it didn’t really suit our game at all.
“Losing our captain Matt Warfield on the day of the game was a blow too, but we certainly did enough overall to have taken something.”
Having won back-to-back games ahead of the long midweek trip to the Dog and Duck, hopes were high of another win for Maddison’s men.
It was a pretty scrappy start though – and the Tigers soon found themselves behind after failing to deal with a corner, as Liburd turned the ball home from close range.
Holbeach came back into it though and they were level 12 minutes later.
Young winger Bayliss, who set up both goals at Wisbech on Saturday, skipped by a few men on the flank and fired a clinical drive into the home net.
From then on the Tigers seized control of the clash and really should have gone ahead.
Both Tom Sergeant and Bayliss had chances to put the visitors ahead, but saw clear-cut changes go to waste.
After that the game descended into something of a stalemate, with neither side looking like sealing the points.
But the hosts benefitted from a real slice of luck in the closing stages to get their noses back in front.
The Tigers got undone down their left-hand side and Brown lofted a cross towards the back post.
Unfortunately for Holbeach and keeper Overton, he overhit his delivery a little and it sailed straight into the top corner.
The Doughboys almost rubbed further salt into Holbeach wounds when former favourite Jason Turner broke through late on, but he couldn’t add to his tally of 28 for the season. It mattered little though, as the hosts held on for a vital win.
Tigers: Overton, Dunn, Murrell, Bishop, Delahoy, Bayliss, Rothery (Reed 78), Elliott, Hollingworth (Law 65), Treacher, Waumsley (Sergeant 65). Not used: Keeble.
