Pinchbeck United 2
Sleaford Town 0
Goals from Ollie Maltby and debutant Lee Beeson kept unbeaten Pinchbeck United top of the Future Lions UCL Premier Division table on Saturday – but their 2-0 win over Sleaford Town was far from routine.
Maltby’s deflected strike on 32 minutes gave the Knights a 1-0 half-time lead at the Sir Halley Stewart Playing Field, but the visitors then missed two penalties in a frantic five-minute period early in the second period.
Keeper Ricky Lovelace turned Michael Hayden’s first effort onto the underside of the bar, before watching on as former Holbeach United midfielder Joe Smith sent the second wide of the post.
Pinchbeck took full advantage of Sleaford’s woes and, after Charlie Ward was sent off for the away side, Beeson fired a low indirect free-kick into the corner 20 minutes from time to wrap up the points.
It’s now 13 points from a possible 15 for the promoted Knights, but player/boss Ian Dunn admitted that it was a hard game to analyse.
He said: “Where do you start with that one? I don’t think the first penalty was one, their lad just stuck his leg out and I don’t think Ricky touched him.
“Sleaford make you honest and, fair play, Ricky made a good save from the first penalty.
“I was a bit annoyed with the second penalty as I felt there was a foul on Ricky and one of our defenders from the previous corner. The referee then gave them a penalty for what looked a similar foul.
“It’s odd to see two penalties missed in the same game, but it happened. If you win a penalty, you’ve got to score it – they didn’t and it cost them. Ricky made a few good saves from free-kicks, but I was annoyed that we didn’t win by more.
“I felt that we had a spell not long after their sending off where we broke and players could have squared the ball for tap in goals. That’s something we’ve got to learn from, as sometimes you’ll only get chances like that in a game.
“From my point of view, based on those chances, I’m angry we didn’t get a few more goals against ten men.
“But, to have 13 points from five games is a fantastic start.”
It was an even start at the Sir Halley, with both sides settling well. Pinchbeck fashioned the first two chances, with Beeson seeing a curled effort saved and Andrew Tidswell whipping a free-kick just past the far corner.
Tidswell also saw a curling strike deflected wide of the post, but Sleaford – who were more than a match for their hosts – went close themselves when Harry Millard worked Lovelace from distance.
The tricky Aaron Eyett then stung the palms of Sleaford keeper Chris Adams from distance, while Town’s Luke Hollingworth saw a back-post header well held by Lovelace.
The opener finally arrived just past the half-hour, with a Jordan Nuttell dummy helping the ball find a way to Maltby, who saw his strike take a big deflection and loop over the keeper.
Sleaford were unlucky not to level when a fine cross from Dan Worthington found the head of Hayden, whose header forced Lovelace into a super point-blank stop.
After the break Pinchbeck were extremely fortunate to hold onto their lead, with Sleaford twice fluffing their lines from 12 yards.
The first was awarded when Lovelace brought down George Couzens in the box, but the keeper deflected Hayden’s effort onto the bar with his legs.
Amazingly, the visitors were then awarded another penalty for holding by Luke Wilson in the box – but midfielder Smith slotted that spot-kick wide of the post.
To rub salt into Sleaford’s wounds, they then had Charlie Ward sent off after his foul on Josh Smith earned a second yellow card. From the free-kick, Beeson fired his maiden goal for the Knights low into the corner to all but end the game as a contest.
Pinchbeck almost added to their advantage when first Eyett and then Fraser Bayliss got in on the right, but both saw their low angled efforts saved by Adams.
Couzens sent a long-ranger wide as Sleaford looked for a way back into the game, while Lovelace was called into two late saves to keep out long-range free-kicks from Archie Moyses and Millard.
Then, as the clock past 90 minutes, frustrated Sleaford boss Jamie Shaw – who was visibly irritated by the match officials – was sent from the dugout as Pinchbeck held on for another battling victory.
Assistant boss Allan Ross added: “We knew that they’d be frantic and quite direct and we just asked for a bit of quality when we won a challenge and got the ball at our feet.
“We had to be cute in and around the box – and, at times, that didn’t really happen. But I think we were a bit calmer than our opposition and a bit more focused.
“As a team and individually, I wouldn’t say that we were fantastic. But we’ve come away with another ugly win and a clean sheet for the third game on the bounce. So let’s not over-analyse and take too much away from what is working.
“We’re on a bit of a run now and are top of the table – somewhere we’ll be for a while, as there are FA Vase games next week. It’s a great start and we’ve got plenty of points on the board.
“But we are where we want to be right now, but we’re not getting carried away. We know that, if we finish in the top ten, that’d be fantastic in our first season.”
Pinchbeck: Lovelace, Wilson, Wright, Tidswell, Field, Jack Smith, Beeson, Josh Smith (Bayliss 69), Nuttell (Bishop 65), Maltby, Eyett. Not used: Gardner, Newman, Dunn.
