Peterborough NS 3
Pinchbeck United 1
New-look Pinchbeck United were handed a derby defeat in the first game of the Uhlsport UCL Premier Division season on Friday night.
A hat-trick from Craig Smith (5, 62 & 65) gave hosts Peterborough Northern Star a 3-1 victory at the Branch Bros Stadium.
Ollie Maltby (47) equalised for Ian Dunn’s side early in the second half, but two goals in three minutes from Smith put the game beyond them.
Having ended last season with a penalty shoot-out defeat to Godmanchester Rovers in the Hinchingbrooke Cup final at the same ground, only Ricky Lovelace and Maltby remained from that starting line-up.
The opening Star goal came from a mix-up between keeper Lovelace and defender Will Nuttell, with Smith able to poke home his first.
Lovelace, who was by far the busier keeper, saved twice from ex-Knight Ewan Fieldhouse and then denied a clean through Smith to keep the score at 1-0 at the break.
That gave Pinchbeck renewed belief and they duly levelled early in the second half when Maltby’s volley picked out the bottom corner.
For a brief period it looked like the Knights may go on and win the game, with Dan Swan saving well from Joe Bates and both Connor
Eyes and Patrik Kacirek missing presentable chances.
That was, however, until Smith’s far-post header restored the Star lead. The same player then rounded Lovelace and tapped home to seal the Knights’ fate.
Dunn said: “The difference was that they took their chances and we didn’t, really. Our errors were punished too, but that’s UCL football.
“I can’t deny that Star were the better side, but there was a period at 1-1 when we had chances to go ahead.
“If we’d scored then, that would have changed the game.
“But their second goal flattened us and we never really recovered.”
Knights: Lovelace, Gordon, Worthington, Ross, W Nuttell (Gaukroger 67), Newman, Bishop, Bates, Eyes (J Nuttell 62), Kacirek (Rivett 69), Maltby. Not used: Esteves, Dementer.
Attendance: 119.
