Spalding United’s hopes of reaching the Evo-Stik NPL Division One South play-offs look to be over after a 1-1 draw at Belper Town on Saturday, while Holbeach United’s faint ChromaSport UCL Premier Division title hopes are also in tatters after a 3-1 reverse at Newport Pagnell.
Starting with the Tulips, they looked to be heading for a first away win since November when Joe Curtis fired home his first goal for the club from a Jamie Thurlbourne corner on 35 minutes.
However, a 70th minute leveller from Gerome Palmer ensured that Marcus Ebdon’s side had to settle for a share of the spoils.
Having also drawn 0-0 at Carlton Town on Wednesday, Spalding are now 11th in the table and ten points behind fifth-placed Lincoln United, who they host on Easter Monday (3pm).
With just six games left, even a win over the Whites would leave the Tulips well off the play-off pace.
Meanwhile, a severely depleted Holbeach side were soundly beaten at Newport Pagnell.
With the likes of Jamie Stevens, Jake Clitheroe and Stacy Cartwright all missing, goals from Dom Lawless (21) and Daryl Smith (44 and 54) accounted for the Tigers.
Top scorer Josh Ford (81) did pull one back for Tom Roberts’ side, but it was too little, too late.
It was a big day at the top of the UCL, with Kempston Rovers finally losing their unbeaten league record with a 2-1 loss at Eynesbury Rovers.
That allowed Leicester Nirvana to move one point clear of them at the top, while Holbeach are now down in fifth. The Tigers are 16 points off top spot, with four games in hand on Nirvana and three on Kempston.
Holbeach are back in action on Easter Monday, when they host Wisbech Town (3pm).
There was no such trouble for relentless ChromaSport PDFL Premier Division leaders Moulton Harrox, who thrashed Uppingham Town 7-0 at Broad Lane.
That extends their unbeaten league record to 24 matches and keeps them 12 points clear at the summit.
Ollie Maltby (2), Billy King (2), Phil Groves (pen), Ben Allen and Joe Townsend were the scorers for Dave Panton’s side.
Also 7-0 winners were Pinchbeck United, who hammered Sawtry at Knight Street to stay fourth in the table.
Elsewhere in the Premier Division, Holbeach United Reserves lost 3-1 at home to Peterborough Sports Reserves and Crowland Town won 4-1 at Leverington Sports.
RESULTS
Evo-Stik League
First Division South: Basford United 1 Goole 0; Belper Town 1 Spalding United 1; Daventry Town 0 Kidsgrove Athletic 5; Gresley 0 Carlton Town 2; Lincoln United 2 Sheffield FC 1; Loughborough Dynamo 1 Shaw Lane Aquaforce 2; Market Drayton Town 0 Chasetown 3; Newcastle Town 2 Coalville Town 1; Stafford Rangers 3 Tividale 0; Stocksbridge PS 3 Leek Town 0; Romulus 1 Rugby Town 5 (Fri).
ChromaSport UCL
Premier Division: Cogenhoe United 0 Rothwell Corinthians 1; Deeping Rangers 1 Oadby Town 0; Eynesbury Rovers 2 Kempston Rovers 1; Kirby Muxloe 0 Wellingborough Town 0; Leicester Nirvana 3 Boston Town 0; Newport Pagnell Town 3 Holbeach United 1; Northampton Spencer 7 Huntingdon Town 0; Sleaford Town 3 Peterborough NS 1; Wisbech Town 1 Northampton SR 2; Yaxley 2 Harrowby United 2; Harborough Town 2 Desborough Town 0 (Fri).
ChromaSport PDFL
Premier Division: Holbeach United Res 1 Peterborough Sports Res 3; Leverington Sports 1 Crowland Town 4; Moulton Harrox 7 Uppingham Town 0; Netherton United 5 Stilton United 0; Pinchbeck United 7 Sawtry 0; Riverside 0 AFC Stanground 11; Thorney 2 Deeping Rangers Res 4.
Division One: Spalding United Res 1 Long Sutton Ath 0; Sutton Bridge United 5 Kings Cliffe 0; Warboys Town 0 Whittlesey Athletic Res 0; Wittering 2 Moulton Harrox Res 0; Baston 2 Langtoft United Res 1.
Division Two: Glinton & Northborough 5 Thorney Res 0; Ketton Res 7 Hampton Sport 0; Sawtry Res 2 Leverington Sports Res 1; Spalding Town 3 Whittlesey Athletic A 1.
Division Three: Baston Reserves 1 Bretton North End 4; Oundle Town Res 1 Thorpe Wood Rangers 0; Stanground Sports 3 Eye United 1; Tydd St Mary 1 Ramsey Town 5; Uppingham Town Res 4 Whittlesey Athletic B 0.
Division Four: Brotherhood Sports 2 Warboys Town Res 4; Holbeach Bank 2 Tydd St Mary Res 2; Long Sutton Athletic Res 0 FC Peterborough 0; Rutland DR 6 Sutton Bridge United Res 4; Stamford Belvedere Res 4 Netherton United B 0; Whaplode Drove 1 AFC Stanground Res 1.
Division Five: Harrowby United Res 0 Limetree UTR 4; Holbeach United A 0 Stanground Sports Res 1; Leverington Sports A 3 KRC Deeping 0; Stamford Lions A 3 Feeder 6; Whittlesey Athletic C 1 Wittering Res 0.
PFA Senior Cup: Semi-finals: Langtoft United 1 Stamford Lions 0; Whittlesey Athletic 2 Peterborough ICA Sports 0.
