Pinchbeck United beat Belper United in the United Counties League

Pinchbeck United were left with mixed emotions after a bitter-sweet afternoon at the Sir Halley Stewart ground on Saturday.

The Knights recorded their first league win of 2024 by ending an eight-match losing streak with a 2-0 home success over Belper United.

That briefly moved Pinchbeck off bottom spot and out of the relegation zone in the United Counties League Premier Division North.

However, an hour after their match finished, they were back at the foot of the table as relegation rivals Hucknall Town recorded a 2-1 away win at Ashby Ivanhoe in a match which had kicked off at 4pm.

Pinchbeck manager Lewis Thorogood commented: "Instead of being jubilant because you've won the game and kept a clean sheet, you do kind of think to yourself 'thank God we've won' before otherwise we would have been in a bit of a pickle.

"It was a case of double jeopardy and it felt like someone had taken the jam out of a doughnut.

"We're no worse off though and the performance shows that we have the fight in us and, if we're on it, then we can perform.

"There were lots of positives. It was a superb effort from the whole team group."

A penalty in each half from Amadu Kanu earned the Knights their first league win since the success over Wisbech Town on December 30.

Kanu converted the first spot kick midway through the opening period after Hugo Hunt had been hauled down in the area.

The Knights also saw another strong penalty appeal turned down in the first half while Hunt spurned a gilt-edged chance to add to Pinchbeck's tally.

They sealed their win with 20 minutes remaining though as Hunt was upended by the Belper goalkeeper and Kanu was successful again from the spot.

Thorogood added: "It was a really good performance. We were solid, committed and positive and played on the front foot.

"I couldn't have asked for any more of the lads. We seemed to have a little bit more bite, tenacity and freedom about us.

"It was a good win which will help to give us the belief that we can go on and get further results."

Pinchbeck have four matches of their season remaining and are a point adrift of Hucknall who still have five games to play.

The two sides are also due to meet on Saturday, March 30, in a relegation showdown at the Sir Halley Stewart.

Thorogood added: "It's important to be reflectively on the current situation. Hucknall are still favourites to stay up and that's reality.

"All we can do is try our best over the remaining games to get as many points on the board and make it as difficult as possible for them.

"We need to try and stay on their coat-tails as much as we can ahead of the game on March 30.

"We can only control what we do and Saturday was a huge confidence boost. We will keep fighting until the end."

Pinchbeck travel to face sixth-placed Eastwood on Saturday while Hucknall have a home game against Heanor.