The second half of the Bank Holiday weekend produced a mixed set of results for the Lincolnshire non-league teams in action, writes David Ward.
Boston United suffered more late heartbreak, while Sleaford Town and Grantham Town were among the sides celebrating victories.
Boston United 2-3 Hornchurch
Boston United were hoping to respond to the disappointment of conceding two late goals in their previous game, and they started well against Hornchurch. The Pilgrims played some flowing football, came close on a couple of occasions and deservedly took the lead through Ken Aboh in the 35th minute following some brilliant build-up play.
Hornchurch stepped up a gear after falling behind and, having already sent one chance over the bar, levelled when Jake Rooney unfortunately put through his own net in the 41st minute. That setback sparked Boston back into life, with Sai Sachdev restoring their advantage just two minutes later to send Paul Hurst’s side into the break 2-1 ahead.
The second half began in a similar fashion, but Hornchurch gradually grew stronger as United found it increasingly difficult to play with the same freedom. Hurst made changes in an attempt to tighten things up, but for the second game in succession, the closing stages proved costly.
Hornchurch equalised in the 80th minute before completing the turnaround seven minutes later. Boston almost rescued a point in the 92nd minute, only for the visiting goalkeeper to produce a brilliant save to deny Holohan.
Hurst was honest afterwards, refusing to blame either the players or his backroom staff. Instead, he accepted responsibility for how he had trained the team, something he will undoubtedly look to address quickly.
South Shields 1-1 Spalding United
Spalding United collected a point from their trip to South Shields after recovering from a goal down. Both teams made a slow start, which was perhaps understandable given that they had each played only 48 hours earlier, but the contest gradually warmed up as the first half progressed.
South Shields looked the stronger of the two sides, although the Tulips also created chances before the interval arrived with the score still goalless. The hosts emerged strongly after the restart and took the lead in the 47th minute with a brilliant strike from outside the penalty area.
South Shields initially looked the more likely side to add to their advantage, but Spalding grew stronger as the match progressed and began taking the game to their opponents. Their improvement was rewarded in the 85th minute when Mani Sani scored a deserved equaliser.
Two minutes later, it appeared Sani had struck again, but the assistant referee raised his flag against the player who had delivered the cross. The timing of the decision caused uproar on the Spalding bench, but the goal was disallowed and the points were shared.
It has been a relatively positive month for the Tulips, who find themselves in mid-table while competing at a level they have never previously experienced.
Gainsborough Trinity 0-3 Cleethorpes Town
Gainsborough Trinity endured an afternoon to forget as they were beaten at home by local rivals Cleethorpes Town. Kick-off was delayed by 15 minutes after heavy showers left puddles on the pitch, but the first half eventually produced all the usual aggression of a derby, with chances and bookings for both sides.
Neither team was able to break the deadlock before half-time, and that remained the case during the opening 15 minutes of the second period. Cleethorpes then found the breakthrough before slack defending from Trinity allowed the visitors to double their advantage in the 66th minute.
Controversy followed in the 73rd minute when Cleethorpes scored their third through a player who appeared to be clearly offside. The decision was so doubtful that the referee went across to consult his assistant before eventually awarding the goal, confirming all three points for the visitors.
Lincoln United 0-2 Grimsby Borough
Lincoln United also suffered derby disappointment as Grimsby Borough left with all three points. The first half was a subdued affair, with neither side looking particularly likely to score before the interval arrived with the game still goalless.
United were forced to make two changes through injury, with the first coming before half-time and the second inside the opening ten minutes of the second period. Those disruptions appeared to affect Lincoln, and Grimsby took advantage by opening the scoring in the 67th minute.
United attempted to fight back, but Borough had their tails up and added a second goal during the final five minutes. That late strike ended any hope of a comeback and ensured the visitors returned home with the points.
Boston Town 1-1 Bourne Town
Boston Town and Bourne Town shared the points following an evenly contested Bank Holiday derby. Boston made a strong start and took the lead through Zak Munton in the eighth minute, but Bourne gradually worked their way into the match and equalised ten minutes later.
The score remained level until half-time before the second period began in scrappy fashion, which was no surprise with both teams having played only 48 hours earlier. Boston became the stronger side as the half progressed, although the closing stages developed into an end-to-end contest in which either team might have found a winner.
Neither side was able to produce the decisive moment, meaning the points were shared at the final whistle. On the balance of the match, a draw was probably the fairest outcome.
Dunkirk 0-2 Sleaford Town
Sleaford Town produced an impressive second-half performance to secure a 2-0 victory away at Dunkirk. The Greens were second best throughout much of the opening period as Dunkirk controlled proceedings, and they were fortunate to reach half-time with the game still goalless.
Manager Jamie McGee appeared to give his side a wake-up call during the interval, while a tactical change helped transform the contest. Sleaford dominated from the beginning of the second half and took the lead through Ben Robson in the 51st minute.
There was a scare four minutes later when Dunkirk were awarded a penalty, but goalkeeper Ryan Kamm produced a brilliant save to preserve Sleaford’s advantage. The visitors controlled much of the remaining action and also saw two further opportunities cleared off the line.
Their second-half superiority was finally reflected in the scoreline when Kyle Onyon added a second goal in virtually the final minute. It completed a well-deserved victory based on an excellent performance after the break.
Kettering Town 5-0 Stamford
Stamford faced a difficult trip to Kettering Town and eventually suffered a heavy defeat. The Daniels initially held their own against strong opposition, although Kettering made the breakthrough in the 20th minute and took that slender advantage into half-time.
Unfortunately, the hosts demonstrated their superiority after the break and added another four goals to complete a convincing 5-0 victory. It was a disappointing result for Stamford, but they had come up against a very good footballing side and must now put the setback behind them before their next fixture.
Grantham Town 3-1 Long Eaton United
Grantham Town returned to winning ways with a convincing home victory against Long Eaton United. The Gingerbreads were the stronger side throughout the first half, although they initially failed to convert a couple of promising opportunities.
Their pressure finally paid off when Louis Czerwak opened the scoring in the 43rd minute, before Dylan Reason added another to give Grantham a two-goal advantage at the interval. The game was effectively sealed three minutes after the restart when Czerwak scored his second and Grantham’s third.
The hosts remained in control for much of the contest, although Long Eaton claimed a consolation goal in added time, by which point it was far too late to threaten a comeback. Grantham therefore collected a deserved three points following an impressive display.
There was also good news away from the pitch, with Abdul Saad unavailable for selection after being invited to train with the Libyan national team in Germany. It is a tremendous honour for both the player and the club.
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