ChromSport UCL Division One Pinchbeck United 3 Thrapston Town 0
Pinchbeck United stretched their unbeaten run to 15 games and any other outcome looked unlikely throughout Saturday’s dominant performance.
The home side just had too much for mid-table Thrapston who were up against it from the start.
The visitors only arrived at the Sir Halley Stewart Field with a few minutes to spare and just 11 players.
It’s credit to Pinchbeck however that things didn’t get any better for Thrapston as the home side didn’t let up the pressure throughout the 90 minutes.
United’s player/manager Ian Dunn said: “It was very comfortable and the scoreline flattered Thrapston to be honest.
“Their game plan was of damage limitation and that was it. They set up with no attacking intent whatsoever and there was 21 players in their half of the pitch for the majority of the first half.
“Our goalkeeper has never finished a match so clean. He had to collect a couple of balls put in to the box, but he didn’t have to dive once.
“It was a case of us being patient and we did that.
“It’s always difficult to break teams like that down on a difficult pitch but we got the job done.
“To be fair they only had 11 players so they couldn’t make any changes and I presume they will be a stronger side when we next face them again later in the season.
“I guess it is a compliment that sides are setting up against us to not be beat but it wasn’t very good for those watching and there were only 66 there.
“As a supporter you want to see two teams trying to score against each other in a proper football match, but it was a bit of a non-event really and just one way traffic really in very difficult conditions.”
Pinchbeck didn’t have to wait too long to take the lead. Just six minutes had elapsed when Thrapston failed to clear a cross and the ball fell to Liam Ogden 12 yards out.
He showed quick feet amid the mud before guiding a fine left-footed finish past the keeper.
The rest of the first half saw the Knights lay siege to the Thrapston goal, but Pinchbeck were unable to find the second goal their play deserved before the break.
Last ditch defending and the bounce of the ball favouring the visitors meant the score remained 1-0 at half time. Pinchbeck though carried on the relentless pressure in the second period and they were rewarded with an early second half goal from Tom Sergeant.
As the ball was pinging around the box, Sergeant kept his cool to finish into the bottom corner after the ball had broken to him.
The game looked sealed for Pinchbeck even before captain Nick Bishop rifled in the third from distance with 20 minutes to go, “a great strike,” reckoned Dunn. “We had many other chances but the three points are what are massively important. You can’t really ask for more than that.”
