Both Spalding United and Holbeach United enjoyed impressive wins in their respective matches on Saturday.
Goals from Conor Higginson and Matt Varley earned the Tulips a 2-0 victory at Gresley in Evo-Stik NPL First Division South, while Josh Ford, Callum Madigan and Jamie Ward all netted as the Tigers beat Leicester Nirvana 3-0 at Carter’s Park.
Starting with Spalding, Dave Frecklington’s side left it pretty late to seal their third victory on the spin.
After a goalless first period, which saw the Tulips miss a penalty, they improved after the break and hit the post through Jordan Lemon before Higginson netted from their second penalty of the day.
Varley then clinched the points with a strike from 20 yards in the closing stages.
The win keeps Frecklington’s charges in third place in the table, just one point behind leaders Shaw Lane AFC – who do have two games in hand.
Meanwhile, Seb Hayes’ fine start to life as Holbeach boss continued with a battling win over mid-table Nirvana.
Ford fired them ahead with an angled drive on 21 minutes, before Tommy Treacher rifled a stunning strike of the underside of the bar from long range.
Goal number two came from a Treacher corner, with Madigan meeting the ball first and driving it into the roof of the net.
Christopher Hollist was given his marching orders for Nirvana 15 minutes from time – and Holbeach made their numerical advantage pay when sub Jamie Ward slid the ball home from close range following a Spencer Tinkler header from a corner.
The win keeps the Tigers fifth ahead of Tuesday night’s trip to third-placed Deeping Rangers (7.45pm).
Elsewhere, Moulton Harrox slipped to third in the ChromaSport PDFL Premier Division after losing a thrilling top-of-the-table clash with Netherton United 4-3.
Harrox looked to be going top of the tree at Christmas when they raced into a 3-0 first-half lead thanks to goals from Joe Townsend, Marcus Parry and Billy King – with the latter being direct from a corner.
However, Netherton rallied at Broad Lane and pegged Harrox back to 3-3 with strikes from Adam Scott and Roberto Da Silva (2).
Dan Woods then fired a penalty wide for Moulton, opening the door for Tom Randall to complete Netherton’s comeback with a hotly-disputed penalty.
Moulton’s slip-up allowed South Holland rivals Pinchbeck United to leapfrog them into second place following their 5-1 success at Thorney.
Tony Edwards, Ollie Maltby, Liam Ogden and Nick Bishop all netted for The Knights, with an own goal rounding off the rout.
Ian Dunn’s side have now won 14 games on the trot in all competitions and are three points off top spot with two games in hand.
Also in the top tier, Crowland lost 6-0 at home against title hopefuls Peterborough Sports Reserves at Snowden Field and Holbeach Reserves drew 3-3 at Langtoft United.
In Division One, Moulton Harrox Reserves won 1-0 at Stamford Belvedere to cement their position at the top. They are unbeaten in 15 league games and are seven points clear.
Sutton Bridge United remain second after a 3-2 win at Oakham Reserves, while Long Sutton Athletic drew 2-2 at Netherton Reserves and Spalding United Reserves went down 3-1 at home to Whittlesey Athletic Reserves.
Plenty more South Holland football in Thursday’s edition of The Spalding and South Holland Voice.
RESULTS
Evo-Stik NPL
Division One South: Bedworth United 3 Kidsgrove Athletic 0; Belper Town 4 Romulus 2; Chasetown 0 Leek Town 3; Gresley 0 Spalding United 2; Loughborough Dynamo 1 Newcastle Town 2; Market Drayton Town 0 Basford United 1; Rugby Town 1 Lincoln United 2; Shaw Lane AFC 1 AFC Rushden and Diamonds 1; Stamford 1 Sheffield FC 1; Stocksbridge Park Steels 2 Northwich Victoria 1.
ChromaSport UCL
Premier Division: Cogenhoe United 1 Peterborough Northern Star 1; Deeping Rangers 6 Northampton ON Chenecks 0; Desborough Town 0 Wisbech Town 0; Eynesbury Rovers 8 Oadby Town 0; Harborough Town 0 Northampton Sileby Rangers 2; Harrowby United 1 Yaxley 4; Holbeach United 3 Leicester Nirvana 0; Kirby Muxloe 2 Boston Town 1; Peterborough Sports 0 Rothwell Corinthians 0; Sleaford Town 2 Newport Pagnell Town 1; Wellingborough Town 5 Huntingdon Town 3.
ChromaSport PDFL
Premier Division: Crowland Town 0 Peterborough Sports Res 6; Ketton 6 Deeping Rangers Res 2; Langtoft United 3 Holbeach United Res 3; Moulton Harrox 3 Netherton United 4; Stamford Lions 2 Sawtry 0; Thorney 1 Pinchbeck United 5; Uppingham Town 1 Leverington Sports 2; Wisbech Town Reserves 0 Peterborough ICA Sports 3.
Division One: Baston 0 Oundle Town 4; Netherton United Res 2 Long Sutton Ath 2; Oakham United Res 2 Sutton Bridge United 3; Spalding United Res 1 Whittlesey Athletic Res 3; Stamford Belvedere 0 Moulton Harrox Res 1; Warboys Town 3 Riverside 3.
Division Two: Leverington Sports Res 2 Stamford Lions Res 4; Parkway Eagles 0 AFC Stanground Sports Res 3; Peterborough ICA Sports Res 3 Langtoft United Res 8; Spalding Town 1 Ramsey Town 5; Whittlesey Athletic A 3 Tydd St Mary 1.
Division Three: Eye United 14 Uppingham Town Res 0; Thorpe Wood Rangers 0 FC Peterborough 2; Whittlesey Athletic B 1 Rutland DR 1.
Division Four: AFC Stanground Sports B 0 Stamford Lions A 2; Huntingdon Rovers 2 Netherton United B 6; Long Sutton Athletic Res 0 Whaplode Drove 2; Wittering Harriers Res 7 Holbeach Bank 3.
Division Five: Glinton & Northborough Res 1 Ramsey Town Res 1; Leverington Sports A 3 Wisbech Town Acorns 2; Orton Rangers 3 Feeder Res 4; Peterborough NECI 1 Holbeach United A 2; Riverside Res 0 Eunice Huntingdon 7.
PFA Challenge Cup: King’s Cliffe 1 Crowland Town Res 1 (AET, pens 5-6).
PFA Junior Cup: Sawtry Res 2 Oundle Town Res 7.
League Shield: Tydd St Mary Res 3 King’s Cliffe Res 0; Eunice Huntingdon 5 Whittlesey Athletic C 2.
