Harrowby United mauled at home by Tigers
United Counties League
Premier Division
Harrowby United 0
Holbeach United 7
Harrowby United endured a difficult chilly Tuesday evening at the Environcom Stadium when they endured a seven-goal mauling by the ‘Tigers’, Holbeach United.
With only 13 minutes gone, Harrowby turned defence into attack as Sam Weatherstone blocked a goalbound Jamie Clarke effort in the six-yard box and mounted a counter-attack. Good work down the right from Tom Potts saw him lay off to Joe Clarke whose low rasping shot flew just wide.
That was as good as it got in the first half as Holbeach took control of the game and effectively had it won by half time.
On the quarter hour mark, Jake Duffy fed Livo Dube down the right and the Tigers striker moved the ball on for Lee Beeson to cross to an unmarked Craig Parker who converted from six yards out.
Duffy doubled the advantage after 26 minutes, curling a shot past Arrows keeper Jack Drury from the edge of the box after being set up by Dube.
Parker scored his second after 35 minutes when another cross from the right saw him arrive late into the area and smash the ball into the roof of the net.
Three minutes later, Dube made it four when Harrowby conceded possession cheaply in midfield and the ball was moved quickly forward to the ex-Oadby forward who smashed a great right foot strike past a helpless Drury from the edge of the box.
Harrowby stemmed the flow of goals for the first 20 minutes of the second period but the Tigers drew blood again in the 65th minute when a fine save from Drury was not cleared and Stacey Cartwright picked up the loose ball to shoot home from inside the six-yard box.
Two minutes later, it was six when a ball into the box found its way to substitute Matt Nolan who, in acres of space, had the simple task of rolling the ball into the net.
Harrowby’s best effort of the half came in the 77th minute when a great run down the right from Sam Weatherstone ended with a teasing cross in the direction of Lee Shaw who, stretching, was just unable knock the ball home.
Holbeach added a seventh goal three minutes into stoppage through Gary King when a poor clearance from Drury went only as far as Jamie Clarke. He played the ball through for King, who had earlier hit a post, to finish from close range.
Harrowby United: Drury, Weatherstone, Clarke, Moore, Stubbs, Potts {Currall 63}, Harper, Bolland, Webb, Motson {Tittensor 50}, Shaw. Subs not used: Peberdy, Daykin, Watson.
