A bizarre delay to the kick-off did not stop Pinchbeck United wrapping up three more United Counties League points on Saturday.
Their Division One match at home to Clifton All Whites started 45 minutes late after emergency repairs were needed to sections of the Eslaforde Park pitch following damage believed to have been caused by rabbits.
Once the action got under way, a thunderbolt strike a minute into the second half from Josh Balding settled matters in the Knights’ favour.
Captain Joe Melson was the man of the match.
Pinchbeck were quickly back in action at their temporary Sleaford home on Tuesday and stretched their unbeaten run to six games with a 4-0 victory over bottom club Rainworth Miners Welfare to continue their surge up the early-season standings.
Melson whipped in a corner for Owen Sheriff to head in the opener after just five minutes and it was 2-0 after 26 minutes when man of the match JJ Ward converted from the penalty spot.
Elliot Foster dribbled into the penalty area past three challenges to tuck away the third to give the Knights a 3-0 half time advantage against the youthful Nottinghamshire visitors.
That seemed to be the end of the evening’s scoring until six minutes before the end when a superb ball from defender Josh Simpson set Foster free and he slotted the ball past the goalkeeper for his second goal of the evening.
Second-from-bottom Shirebrook Town are the opponents for Pinchbeck’s next match on Saturday, before a break from league action to take on Yaxley in the League Knockout Cup next Tuesday.
Knights v Clifton: Martin, Simpson, Balding, Melson, Sheriff, Brooks, Howlett, Shinn, Slater, Cullen, Ward. Subs: Foster, Stevens, Brocklesby.
Attendance: 37.
Knights v Rainworth: Martin, Simpson, Brocklesby, Melson (Stevens), Sheriff, Balding, Howlett, Foster, Slater (Shinn), Cullen, Ward.
