Deeping Rangers beat Sleaford Town in the United Counties League Premier Division North
Deeping Rangers produced a professional performance to move back into the United Counties League Premier Division North play-off spots on Wednesday night.
The Clarets leapfrogged their defeated hosts Sleaford Town into fifth place after a 2-1 success at Elsaforde Park.
Elliot Foster had fired the visitors ahead and, although Dom Kew brought the hosts level, a second half goal from Dan Dougill secured victory for Deeping.
With just two league matches scheduled for this month due to a plethora of cup clashes, joint boss Scott Bogusz was pleased to see his side return home with a vital victory.
He said: "It was a great result because Sleaford is always a difficult place to come to.
"They are a good, well-drilled side who always make it hard for you but it was a really important three points, especially with only having two league games during the whole month.
"Our aim has to be to get six points because we have to stay in and around it because it is very tight in the league.
"Other teams will now catch up on their games this month so it is important that we win our league games when we have them."
Former Rangers player Matt Carter returned to the ranks under dual registration with Whittlesey Athletic to ease an injury crisis at right-back with John-Paul Duncliffe, Will Moxon and Toby Salmon all sidelined while Taylor Horne was unavailable due to work commitments.
The Clarets started brightly and needed just five minutes to break the deadlock as Tom Smith's inviting centre fell for Foster to slot home the opening goal.
Sleaford responded with Deeping goalkeeper Aaron Butcher spreading himself well to block a Ryan Lennon effort before home custodian Liam Flitton produced an excellent save to thwart Cal Davies.
An under pressure Flitton spilled the resultant corner but Avi Vieira saw his goalbound effort blocked on the line as Deeping were denied the chance to double their lead.
Their early ascendancy started to wane though as Sleaford became the more dominant force and they equalised after 24 minutes.
Max Ward's long punt into the area was headed out as far as Kew who curled an exquisite finish into the top corner of the Deeping net.
The hosts now had the initiative as Jacob Fenton fizzed a free-kick just wide with Kew clipping another tasty strike narrowly over the crossbar.
Rangers regrouped again at the break and, after Foster had seen an effort tipped over by Flitton, they regained the lead four minutes after the restart.
Davies whipped in a corner to the near post which evaded the home side's attempts to block with Dougill bundling the ball home.
Chances then came and went at both ends with Jonny Lockie seeing a header saved for the visitors while Fenton sent a similar effort straight at Butcher.
Stamford striker Tom Siddons - who has joined Sleaford on a month's loan - was then foiled by Butcher as he safely gathered a header.
Sleaford continued to probe for an opening but, with David Burton-Jones and Spencer Tinkler dominant at the heart of the Deeping defence, there was no way through for the visitors.
Co-manager Bogusz added: "We scored first but didn't really utilise the momentum that we had after going 1-0 up.
"If you give Sleaford a sniff then they will be all over you and that's what happened for large parts of the first half.
"They made it hard for us and put it on our back four and it was a great finish for their equaliser.
"We spoke at half-time about being more ruthless in both boxes because that is something that we do lack at times as we've had chances this season to put teams to bed and haven't done that.
"It was pleasing how we came out for the second half and we knew then that they would have to go for it after we got the second goal.
"The boys managed the game really well and it was a professional performance."
Clarets: Butcher, Carter, Smith, Dougill, Tinkler, Burton-Jones, Lockie (Sparrow), Walker (Cole), Vieira (Waumsley), Foster, Davies (Varela).
