With most of our local non-league sides either finishing up or entering their final fixtures, the key issues at both ends of the table are now largely settled, although there was still plenty of drama across the weekend.
Boston Town continued their remarkable run by lifting a second trophy in the space of seven days, travelling to face Nuneaton Town, the Southern UCL Premiership champions, in the Champions Cup. They made a confident start and were rewarded after 19 minutes when Matt Cotton powered home a header to give them the lead. Nuneaton responded with a couple of openings, but Town held firm to take a 1-0 advantage into the break. After the restart, Boston again looked the more dangerous side, and their pressure told in the 75th minute when Fraser Bayliss doubled the lead. Nuneaton pushed late on, but the defence stood strong as Town secured the win and confirmed themselves as overall Premier Division champions.
Boston United also enjoyed success on the road, winning 3-0 at Solihull Moors in a game that will be remembered for more than just the football. The first half was relatively even and ended goalless, but the contest turned early in the second period when United goalkeeper Chadwick produced an excellent save to keep the scores level. The match then descended into confusion in the 65th minute when the referee halted play, sent off Solihull’s Wilkinson for an alleged racist remark, and subsequently left the pitch. After a delay, both sides returned to complete the fixture, and the disruption appeared to affect Solihull more. United took advantage, going ahead through an own goal in the 67th minute, before Hazel added a second ten minutes later. McGuire then wrapped things up in the 90th minute, shortly after seeing another effort ruled out, sealing a comfortable win in highly unusual circumstances.
Gainsborough Trinity’s play-off hopes suffered a blow as they fell to a 2-1 defeat at home to Prescot Cables. A quiet first half ended without goals, and although the second period showed some improvement, it was Prescot who struck first in the 61st minute. Trinity struggled to respond but were handed a lifeline late on when Prescot put through their own net in the 88th minute. However, any hopes of salvaging a point were immediately dashed as Prescot went straight up the other end from the restart and scored again, exposing poor defending. Trinity now face a tense final day, needing a win and favourable results elsewhere to extend their season.
Lincoln United signed off at home with a goalless draw against North Ferriby. They began brightly and created a handful of chances in the opening period but could not find a breakthrough before the interval. The second half was more open, with both sides pushing forward, although the best chance fell to the visitors in the 75th minute. United held on for a clean sheet, meaning they end the campaign with a strong run at home, six wins and three draws from their last nine, which should provide a solid platform heading into next season.
Spalding United, already assured of a home play-off tie, were held to a draw at Leiston but produced a performance that pleased their manager. Jack Roberts opened the scoring in the 55th minute, and Abduramane Sani added a second in the 82nd, only for Leiston to equalise with virtually the last kick of the game. Despite the late setback, there were clear positives in the display as they prepare for the play-offs.
Stamford completed a remarkable escape from relegation with a convincing 3-0 win at Royston. Having only climbed out of the drop zone three weeks ago, they carried that momentum into this fixture. Ryan Wilson gave them the lead in the 19th minute, and they maintained that advantage until the break. Second-half goals from Leon Lobjoit in the 70th minute and Charlie Marzano in the 89th sealed the victory and ensured their survival, capping a dramatic turnaround in fortunes over the closing weeks.
Harrowby United, already relegated, ended their season with a draw at Blackstones that summed up their campaign. They took the lead in the 30th minute through a David Kolopo penalty and looked set to finish on a positive note, only to concede an equaliser with the final kick of the match. It has been a difficult season, and attention now turns to rebuilding for the next challenge.
At the bottom end elsewhere, Sleaford Town secured their safety with a battling win, a result that confirmed Pinchbeck United’s relegation. Sleaford started at pace but missed several early chances before being reduced to ten men in the sixth minute when Taylor Gray was sent off. Despite the setback, they responded brilliantly, taking the lead in the 18th minute through Dion Tansey-Potter, who finished at the near post. Kyle Onyon doubled the advantage eight minutes later, putting them in control at the interval. Radford pushed back in the second half and pulled a goal back late on, but Sleaford held firm for a vital three points.
That result left Pinchbeck needing a win at Dronfield Town to survive, but they were forced to settle for a draw. Dronfield struck early, going ahead after 13 minutes, but Pinchbeck responded quickly as Ward finished a one-on-one chance to level the scores five minutes later. They came close to taking the lead in the first half, with Orin producing a superb run and shot that was somehow kept out. The second half was evenly contested, and despite pushing hard late on as news filtered through from elsewhere, Pinchbeck could not find the goal they needed. When the final whistle sounded, the draw was not enough, bringing a disappointing end to their fight for survival after a spirited effort in recent weeks.
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