BOSTON SATURDAY LEAGUE: Round-up

Neil Johnson rounds up this week's action...
Tom Baxter clears for Benington.Tom Baxter clears for Benington.
Tom Baxter clears for Benington.

Taylors Garages Premier Division

Kirton Town gained a valuable three-point haul in a home midweek encounter against Benington.

The game appeared to be heading for a 1-1 draw until Richard Ford popped up with a crucial late winner to give Town some much-needed hope in their battle to avoid relegation.

Martin Durrant had scored Kirton’s earlier goal while Ben Hardstaff replied for the visitors.

New signing Steve Jucikas marked his Benington debut by netting their equaliser in a 1-1 Premier Division draw at relegation-threatened Fishtoft.

Neil Allen had given the hosts the lead before Jucikas struck late in the first half to ensure the honours finished even.

Both sides had chances to snatch victory after the break, but a draw was probably a fair outcome.

Wyberton Reserves had a comfortable 5-0 victory against Billinghay Athletic with Tyrone Chase grabbing two goals.

Adam Vinters, Shane Brackenbury and Liam Shinn completed the scoring.

Spilsby Town remain firmly in the hunt for the title with a 4-0 home win against Coningsby.

The all-important goals came from Adam Dales, Eddie Rich, Dan Cobb and Josh Wood.

Skegness Town Reserves’ home game against Heckington Millers couldn’t go ahead because of a saturated pitch.

An Ian Jacquest hat-trick for Pointon in their home match against Swineshead accounted for nothing as they fell to a 6-3 defeat.

Taylors Peugeot Division One

The game at Freiston, where Woodhall were the scheduled visitors, was postponed due to a waterlogged pitch after the heavy overnight rain.

In the other remaining game, Swineshead Reserves hit six goals away from home when Wrangle crumbled to a 6-0 defeat.

Taylors Ford Division Two

In a midweek local derby game at Coningsby Reserves, Billinghay Reserves went home empty-handed after going down 2-0.

The Coningsby goals came from Danny Cottingham and James Todd.

Billinghay Reserves just edged out Fishtoft Reserves in a closely-fought encounter.

It was a game of very few chances as both sides defended extremely well throughout.

In the first half Fishtoft got on the front foot and were rewarded with goal half way through the half thanks to a neat bit of play that put Lewis Cartwright through on goal, and the striker finished in style.

Billinghay were soon back on level terms after a long ball over the top sent them through on goal and as the onrushing keeper came out, the Billinghay player chipped it over him and into the net.

In the second half the game opened up a bit more and Fishtoft started to create some chances but couldn’t find their way through a solid Billinghay back line.

As the game was coming to an end another ball over the top allowed the Billinghay forward in on goal, as the Fishtoft defender came across the ball was cleared only for the referee to award a penalty for handball.

Billinghay scored and put themselves in front with what proved to be the winning goal.

Final score 2-1.

Eastern European FC came away from Mareham United with maximum points following a 2-1 away win.

The visitors went 2-0 in front before Josh Beresford pulled a goal back for Mareham and things could have been better for the basement side as the goalscorer also struck the woodwork and squandered a couple of good chances.

Holbeach Bank hit four goals at home against Sibsey but they still ended up pointless following an 8-4 defeat.

Davy Shepherd (two), Jonny Wiggins and Marcus Gilbertson hit the Bank’s goals.

Park United’s home game against Railway Athletic was postponed owing to a waterlogged pitch and the promotion hopefuls will have to cram another game into their congested finale.

Taylors Vauxhall Division Three

In what was their final league game, mid-table Leverton Reserves took on leaders Spilsby Town Reserves.

It was the underdogs who struck first when a long ball into the box led to a mix-up between goalkeeper and defender, and the alertness of Giorgio Fiore allowed him to take advantage to finish into an empty net and put Leverton in the lead.

Spilsby did threaten and several times missed opportunities to level.

However, a resolute Leverton defence played a big part in keeping the away side at bay.

Spilsby continued to press, but it wasn’t until the hour mark that they could find a breakthrough.

A weaving run and neat pass allowed the Spilsby striker to slot home from close range.

As the weather turned to heavy hail, both sides fought against the conditions and focus on the game and Spilsby were rewarded for their continued dominance when they were awarded a controversial penalty 10 minutes later.

This was dispatched to give the league leaders what was to finish a deserved 2-1 win.

Town’s goals came from Sonny Cragg and Travis Herberts.

FC Hammers hit Spalding Harriers for six with Scott Bates grabbing two of the goals.

Liam Ingamells, Aaron Modley, Jace Snade and Diogo Garcia were also on target.

Old Doningtonians Reserves and Pointon A shared the points in a 4-4 draw.

The Dons’ goals came from Brandon Harker, Liam Pitts, Chris Wing and Andy Dear.

Wyberton A were without a game after their scheduled home fixture against Northgate Olympic at Rosebery Avenue had to be given up to their first team in the Premier after their home Causeway pitch was deemed unplayable due to the heavy rainfall.

Target Newspapers Challenge Cup

Another crowd of 200-plus saw another exciting final when the top two sides in Division One, Boston College and Leverton SFC, produced a tightly-contested encounter.

The College had some defensive selection headaches before announcing their line-up and their gambled risk to play captain Craig Gosling backfired when the influential defender was forced to leave the field on the half-hour mark.

Luckily for his side, the College had already stunned their opponents with an early opening goal when Jamie Dawson rifled home a low drive from the edge of the box past a bewildered Ben Shaw.

Leverton striker Dom Goddard was being closely watched and when he jinked inside a couple of challenges after 15 minutes a superb block by defender Alex Kirkham snuffed out the danger.

Dan Taylor then fired a free-kick straight at Steven Royal and Nathan Rippin arrowed another free-kick just over the bar 10 minutes before the break.

An equaliser wasn’t far away, however, as two minutes later Ben Reeson scampered through onto a long ball and as the College defence hesitated, the speedy Reeson took full advantage by beating the keeper and rolling the ball home.

Leverton remained on top after the break and captain Marc Hipwell flashed a header just wide of the left hand post following a corner within two minutes of the re-start, but they were not to be denied much longer as, eight minutes later, another corner from the right was powerfully headed home by Rippin.

Boston College bravely dug in after that setback and they steadied the ship with some superb tackling.

Their efforts were rewarded after 70 minutes when a long throw from the left touch-line caused all sorts of problems in the Leverton defence and the ball ended up in the net at the far post to make the score 2-2.

Hipwell again went close with a header shortly afterwards and Goddard shot straight at the keeper but the College were slowly growing in confidence.

Nathan Rivett sent in a dangerous cross 10 minutes from time but it somehow eluded the lurking College strikers.

Unlike, the previous week’s final, there was to be no late winner and the match went into extra time.

Boston College’s tackling in the extra time was superb as Leverton’s build-up play was thwarted time after time and although Nathan Hubbert went close with a 25-yard volley which narrowly missed the left hand upright, it was the College who snatched the winner 10 minutes into the first period.

Substitute, Sheridon Goodhand, who had only just entered the action, planted home a firm header from a left wing corner and Leverton were unable to find a way back.

Billy Hodgkiss, who was excellent in the heart of the College defence, was named Man of the Match.

BB Insure Willoughby Cup

There’s only one word to describe the semi-final tie between Old Leake and Friskney - crazy.

Sixteen goals were scored as Friskney, from Division One, kept fighting back from the dead as Old Leake did their best to throw it all away.

Premier side Old Leake were at home and went 1-0 ahead early on before Friskney levelled the scores.

The home side then scored again to lead 2-1 at them break before they added two further goals in the second half to leave Friskney with a mountain to climb.

But the underdogs clawed their way back with two free-kicks to leave Leake sweating at 4-3.

The Premier side swatted the minnows back down by adding another three goals to lead 7-3 and, seemingly, the tie looked all over once more.

This time, Friskney scaled the heights again and , this time, they reached the summit with Richie Heywood netting a last-gasp equaliser to take the 7-7 score-line into extra time .

Friskney missed two good chances in first half of extra time before Leake finally wrapped up the match with two goals in the second period.

Amazingly, there was still time in the dying moments for Friskney to miss a penalty when Mitch Griffiths saved the spot-kick and the final score finally finished at 9-7.

For the record Old leake’s goals came from Adam Abell (two), Adam Tempest (two), James Leafe (two), Kane Watson, Callum Lawe and Scott Mackay.

The brave Friskney went so close with replies from Victor Sibert (three), Jeremy Brown, Greg Brown, Rob Jackson and Richie Heywood.

Lincoln League Village Trophy

The Village Trophy final between The Railway Inn and Ruskington Rovers took place last Thursday and it required a penalty shoot-out to produce a winner.

Ruskington scored very early on and enjoyed 75 per cent of the possession during the game, but a momentary lapse led to the Railway Inn equalising just before full time.

The match remained deadlocked at 1-1 after extra time and the Railway Inn won 3-1 on penalties.