Match Preview

The Match Background

It is set to be a clash of real substance in south Lincolnshire on Tuesday evening with both sides entering the final three games of the United Counties League Premier Division North season with plenty at stake. For the Greens, Saturday’s victory at Ashby Ivanhoe kept them in the hunt in the race for the fourth and final play-off spot as goals from Finlay Armond and Akeel Francis saw them move back to within six points of Skegness Town in 5th. It left the Greens as the sole remaining challenger to the Lilywhites ambitions with Eastwood Community’s defeat against in-form Boston Town ruling them out of the running for the end-of-season showdown. For hosts Pinchbeck meanwhile, a 2-0 defeat at the hands of Hucknall Town on Saturday afternoon pushed them to the brink of a relegation that could be rubber-stamped with defeat tonight. Against 10-men for much of the contest at the weekend, the Knights were nevertheless undone by a pair of strikes from Daniel Odunaiya and Brad Wells that left the Greens Lincolnshire rivals looking uncomfortably upward at the Yellows. It all means that Tuesday evening’s game possesses the power to make or break entire seasons. There could be celebrations or tears on either side of the tape come 9.45PM, and with both sides required to ‘go for it’, expect an open and entertaining encounter at the Sir Halley Stewart Field.

Team News

Player/Managers Tom Ward and Nathan Arnold could well go unchanged from the side that defeated Ashby Ivanhoe at the weekend after such a strong performance on the 4G surface at Quorn AFC. Latrell Patterson returned to the starting eleven at the weekend, playing his part in the Greens third clean sheet in their last five games and displacing vice-captain Kyle Watkins back to the bench. Charlie Ward moved back to his more natural defensive position on the right which allowed Tristan Drummond a more advanced role, something that Tom Ward thought ‘suited’ the Greens. Jake Henderson made a welcome return from injury after picking up a knee injury at Hucknall Town in February, starting from the bench at Ashby Ivanhoe, while Ward will check on the fitness of Eli Christie who was only fit enough for an unused substitute role at Farley Way on Saturday.

The Opposition

The Greens make the short journey to Pinchbeck United on Tuesday evening with their hosts staring firmly down the barrel of relegation. Defeated 2-0 by Hucknall Town - their primary rivals in the battle for survival - on Saturday has left the Knights practically in a position of no return and defeat tonight would confirm a return to the United Counties League Division One after six years at step five. The manner in which the Knights conceded the advantage to the Yellows on Saturday will be of particular frustration to those at the Sir Halley with their visitors reduced to 10-men rather early in the contest. At the stage, the Knights were firm favourites for both the victory and in turn, league survival, but goals from Daniel Odunaiya and Bradley Wells in the second half quickly silenced a crestfallen Knights side.

It all means the Knights are left looking uncomfortably upward at their closest rivals. The gap is three points and certainly not insurmountable, but they'll need good fortune and a good slice of luck if they are to wriggle their way out of this rather bleak situation. A pair of back-to-back victories first over Belper United and then Eastwood Community in recent weeks had gathered hope of a revival that could maintain step five status, but that Hucknall reversal bought them firmly back down to earth and was more in keeping with the Knights form overall this season. Those two recent victories were just the Knights fourth and fifth triumphs of the entire campaign and they'd only one victory leading into the Christmas period - a 5-0 victory over Hucknall in early September. The Knights then had a spurt over the festive period, beating Deeping Rangers 3-1 before a 2-1 win over Wisbech Town sandwiched Tuesday's reverse fixture on Boxing Day.

Having turned their recruitment process to building around exciting youth products, the Knights do possess plenty of promising talent, but that rawness may also have played a part in their downfall. Manager Lewis Thorogood has always admitted that his side are largely learning on the job, but he has also remained an advocate of his sides talent, ability, and chances of competing at step five. Experience has become increasingly few and far between too, particularly with the departure of players like Neal Spafford and Andre Williams in recent months. Despite that though, there's plenty of names that will be well-known to the Greens, most notably Harry Johnson and Nathan Brettoner while the Greens Kofi Gonsalves is also on-loan at the Knights although will be ineligible to face his parent club on Tuesday.

Previous Meetings

The Knights have traditionally proven profitable opposition for the Greens over recent seasons with the visitors now unbeaten in five meetings since the Covid-enforced break. The Greens were 3-0 victors on Boxing Day over a Knights side that picked up the other six points on offer to them over the Christmas period. Tristan Drummond got the ball rolling before second half goals from Akeel Francis and Ryan Lennon finished off a comfortable afternoon for the hosts in front of a festive crowd of 176 at The MKM Ground. The Greens also did the double over the Knights last season too, winning at the Sir Halley Stewart Field 4-1 and then at Eslaforde Park 4-0. A Jacob Fenton hat-trick led the way on the road just before Christmas 2022, with his treble added to by a cool Ryan Rushen finish in front of 105 spectators. Fenton was then on the scoresheet again in the reverse fixture alongside strikes from Rodrigo Goncalves, Finlay Armond and Tom Ward as the Greens cruised to victory in front of an Easter Bank Holiday Monday crowd of 234.

The Match Details

Admission to the Sir Halley Stewart Field (PE11 1DA) on Tuesday evening is priced at £6 for adults and £3 for concessions with under-eighteen’s free (alongside a paying adult). Tuesday’s match referee is Andrew Cuthbert, and he is assisted on the day by Ryan Pick and Rob Slater. Kick-off in Spalding is at 7.45PM.

Words; Oliver Atkin