Holbeach United beat AFC Sudbury Reserves in the Thurlow Nunn League

Holbeach United produced a terrific team performance to record a second successive vital victory in the Thurlow Nunn League on Saturday.

The Tigers followed up last week's fine home win over Stanway Pegasus with a 2-1 away victory at AFC Sudbury Reserves on Saturday.

Goals from the returning John Yambasu and George Frost helped Holbeach return victorious from a 160-mile round trip to Suffolk on a day when the arctic blast claimed a number of non-league fixtures.

Manager Danny Clifton was full of praise for his charges who executed their game-plan to perfection on the 3G surface to leapfrog their hosts in the Division One North standings.

Clifton said: "It was a great performance and we were really good.

"We had a game-plan and set up a team based on the players which I had to try and combat them playing. We did it for the whole game and were absolutely superb.

"We nullified their threat and the game-plan worked to an absolute tee.

"The hard part about it is that, when you put so much effort into doing that, you've also got to remember when you get the ball back that you've got to then be dynamic going forward.

"You've got to sort of be Jekyll and Hyde in that each individual player has to be two different players on the pitch - one without the ball and one with it and they're both different."

The Tigers had travelled without the influential Will Barnes who was serving a one-game suspension.

Fellow midfielders Sam Carter and Harvey Thorne were also absent while top scorer Connor Pilbeam has joined higher level Sleaford Town.

Holbeach were boosted by the return of Yambasu following a brief spell at Pinchbeck United while Tom Hoyle was outstanding in his fourth start of the season.

He formed a strong midfield partnership with Sam Harris while Ryan Cook, Yambasu and Frost were a constant threat in the Holbeach attack.

They were also disciplined in their defending with Luke Nicholson, Josh Ling and Jordan Oldham at the heart of the Holbeach rearguard.

Their resilience was then rewarded with the opening goal as Holbeach kept Sudbury at bay before breaking swiftly with a slick move releasing Yambasu to break the deadlock.

The lead was then doubled from the penalty spot as Frost converted after Cook had glided past a couple of challenges before being brought down in the area.

Although Sudbury cut the deficit with the final attack of the game, it was too little too late to deny Holbeach an excellent away win with the return of Yambasu now off-setting the departure of top scorer Pilbeam.

Yambasu was with the club throughout last season and started the current campaign at Carter's Park before making the higher level move to Pinchbeck.

However, after eight appearances for the United Counties League Premier Division North club, Yambasu has decided to come back to Holbeach and Clifton was thrilled to have him return to the ranks.

He commented: "It's really pleasing to have him back and John made a massive difference on Saturday.

"He scored a goal and could have had a hat-trick. He talks well and he's an organiser on the pitch which helps the younger lads."

Saturday's success at Sudbury moved the Tigers up into sixth spot in the Division One North table.

They are now level on points with fifth-placed Harwich & Parkeston who occupy the final play-off spot.

Holbeach host fourth-placed Great Yarmouth Town on Saturday who are just a point clear of the Tigers in the table.