A two-goal blast from man of the match Ben Howlett might have earned Pinchbeck United the Thurlow Nunn League derby battle bragging rights on Monday but it was not enough to win the Division One North standings war.
The Knights emerged 3-2 victors at Carter’s Park but it was Holbeach United who ended the season highest in the table, just one place and four goals ahead, after the South Lincolnshire rivals tied on 57 points.
Two goals in four minutes midway through the first half gave the visitors the advantage. Josh Panton’s cross was headed in by Howlett after 25 minutes and Joe Melson’s corner then fell to Krisztian Gagyi and he made it 2-0 with the aid of a deflection
Marley Hamilton pulled one back in first-half stoppage time to bring an end to Ben Martin’s
five-match run of clean sheets.
The two-goal difference was restored with six minutes to go when Melson’s through ball released Howlett to slot under Josh Simpson.
Jordan Keeble made it 3-2 with four minutes to go to set up a grandstand finale.
Tigers: Simpson, Kacirek, Ling, Roberts, Oldham, Carter, Greenacre, Thorne, Hamilton, Wright, Cook. Subs: Keeble, Gadzia, Stanfield, West, Lee.
Knights: Martin, Gagyi, Doran (Ratley), Melson, Cranfield, Turunen, Howlett, Panton (Tate), Williams Cullen, Ward (Thorrold). Sub: Barker.
Harvey Thorne was on target for Holbeach in Saturday’s 1-1 draw at Haverhill Borough.
Tigers: Simpson, Kacirek, Ling, Roberts, Oldham, Gadzia, Greenacre, Thorne, Keeble, Ibeneme, Cook. Subs: Carter, Hamilton, Stainfield. Att: 29.
Pinchbeck completed their home season with a comfortable 3-0 win against relegated Swaffham Town on Saturday.
The visitors were reduced to ten men after only 13 minutes when Kirils Jakusovs was sent off for a nasty challenge on Flynn Slater.
Seven minutes later, great build-up play by Andre Williams and Josh Panton set up Slater to score and that was how it remained at the break.
Harry Cranfield struck to give some breathing space after 56 minutes and soon after Logan Tate completed the scoreline from a free-kick.
Knights: Martin (Barker), Gagyi (Ratley), Doran, Melson (Tate, Ward), Cranfield, Thorrold, Howlett, Panton, Slater (Turunen), Cullen, Williams. Att: 53.
