Holbeach United 1
Wellingborough Town 2
A last-gasp goal saw Holbeach United end a transitional ChromaSport UCL Premier Division season with a 2-1 home defeat against Wellingborough Town on Saturday.
The Tigers looked to be heading for at least a share of the spoils at Carter’s Park when George Zuerner jumped off the bench to bag a 68th-minute leveller, wiping out an early Wellingborough opener.
But, after missing a host of great chances, the Doughboys bagged a winner in the second minute of added time following a scramble after Holbeach failed to properly clear a corner.
The loss sees Seb Hayes’ side finish in seventh place, some 39 points behind champions Peterborough Sports and 21 points off runners-up Deeping Rangers.
But they actually collected three more points (73) than they managed last year – in a season when the Tigers finished in fourth position.
Boss Hayes felt his side deserved a draw at the very least, but was impressed with the performance of a Holbeach side that listed four teenagers in the starting 11.
“The result was very harsh on us,” admitted Hayes. “I did feel that we were the better side from start to finish.
“I can’t really remember them having more than two shots in the entire game – and they scored from both of them.
“But I have to credit Wellingborough. They stuck at it, dug in well and didn’t give up. To win ugly like that is the sort of thing I want to see from my side moving forward.
“If you win when you don’t play well, it’s the sign of a good side.
“We had at least five really good chances in the match – and they fell to the kind of people you’d want your chances to go to.
“Josh Ford, Tommy Treacher, Zak Munton and George Zuerner all had big chances, but it wasn’t our day.
“We had nine players out again, but it was great to see us performing so well with four teenagers starting.
“That’s the big positive for me, we’ve unearthed some real gems and the likes of Dan Dougill, Lewis Harker, Luke Nicholson, Zak Munton and Callum Davies will all be in the first team squad next season if they want to stay here.
“I was also pleased to see the players take some responsibility after the game and criticise each other.
“It was the final day of the season and they didn’t need to do it. But I’ve been banging on about them needing to care more – and this was the kind of thing I’ve wanted to see.
“It’s funny, I’ve been looking forward to the end of the season considering our injury worries. But now I feel like I want ten more games.”
Tigers: Drury, Nicholson (Zuerner), Harker, Cartwright, N Jackson, Warfield, Dougill, Munton (Millinson), Griffiths, Treacher (Grimwood), Ford.
