March Town beaten by Deeping Rangers in Hinchingbrooke Cup showpiece
March Town 0 Deeping Rangers 2
Deeping Rangers ended March Town's defence of the Hinchingbrooke Cup as the Clarets struck twice in the final few minutes at Yaxley's MOTiQ Stadium on Tuesday night.
The Hares has dominated long periods against their United Counties League rivals but were undone by two late goals after Flo Tsaguim was sent-off in the dying minutes of the final.
Luke Hunnings and Enoch Opayinka made the Hares pay as ex-boss Brett Whaley got the better of his former club.
March came into the game buoyed by their Cambs Invitational Cup victory against Ely City last week, but their hopes of picking up a second piece of silverware went begging after squandering several chances throughout the 90 minutes.
The Hares defeated Netherton, Whittlesey, Yaxley and St Neots en-route to the final and divisional opponents Deeping accounted for Godmanchester Rovers, FC Peterborough and Eaton Socon coming into the showpiece.
March dominated possession for much of the first 45 minutes and were guilty of wasting several half-chances.
Jack Saunders fired a shot into the arms of Aaron Butcher in the opening minutes, while the defender linked up well with Dan Cotton down the left.
A shove on Adam Brumby earned Deeping's Will Barnes the first yellow card of the final and there were also bookings for March's Tsaguim and Saunders, but it was far from a dirty affair between the North and South rivals.
Brumby's charging run ended with Toby Allen firing a shot over the woodwork and further chances came and went as Allen headed over and Matty Foy drilled an effort just wide of the target.
Deeping offered little going forward, although both goalkeepers were called upon in the closing minutes of the half.
Butcher saved brilliantly with his feet to keep out a powerful effort from Foy, while his opposite number Jonah Gill pulled off an acrobatic stop to deny Byron Adiado on the stroke of half-time.
A rash challenge from Dan Dougill on Cotton earned the Deeping player the first caution of the second period.
Another driving run from Brumby almost unlocked the Deeping defence five minutes after the restart, but Craig Gillies curled the loose ball over the bar.
Deeping goalkeeper Butcher was at full stretch to his left to keep out an Allen shot two minutes later as March tried to find a way through a stubborn Deeping defence.
The pace of Adiado was always a threat to the Hares and, going into the final 15 minutes, Gill was called upon to save at point-blank range before the follow-up from James Stainsby was brilliantly blocked by a March defender.
March were reduced to ten men in the 85th minute after Tsaguim picked up a second yellow card.
It allowed Deeping to wrestle back some control, and four minutes later, they were in front as Gill was beaten by a towering header from Hunnings.
Whaley’s side wrapped up the win through substitute Opayinka in the dying seconds.
March Town: Gill, Burrows, Saunders, Green, Emmington, Brumby, Cotton, Foy, Gillies (Williams), Allen, Tsaguim. Subs: Escorcio, Henderson, Biggs.
Deeping Rangers: Butcher, Tinkler, Smith, Burton, Hunnings, Dougill, Barnes, Hook, Stainsby, Davies (Opayinka), Adiado. Subs: Addinall, Meeks, Muzychuk.
