Five Star Performance By Eastwood

Eastwood Community returned to the top of the United Counties League Premier North on Saturday afternoon, on goal-difference from Bourne Town, after they brushed aside visiting Deeping Rangers, who are second bottom, 5-0 at Coronation Park.

With Bourne on FA Vase, progressing to the quarter-finals with a shoot-out success away to Atherton Laburnum Rovers, the Red Badgers took full advantage.

Three goals to the good at the interval, the hosts were one up inside ten minutes, Tyler Blake opening the scoring when getting on the end of a great ball from Terry Hawkridge, and firing past a shocked, visiting ‘keeper.

Aaron O’Connor notched his first of the afternoon on twenty minutes as the Red Badgers’ front-three of Opuku, Tyler Blake, and O’Connor, combined, for the latter to finish off; and it was soon three when Blake got his second assist of the afternoon for Opuku to net, and send the hosts in 3-0 to the good at the break.

Shortly after the restart and the hosts showed no signs of easing off, a corner from Dunn headed home by defender, Oliver Robinson for number four, then, and following a couple of changes, the hosts added the decisive fifth, and O’Connor’s second of the afternoon, he bursting into the box with the ball at his feet and finishing well.

The victory saw the Red Badgers move back into pole position over a Bourne side who not only have a game in hand, but also host Eastwood early next month, in a mouth-watering, top of the table clash.

Eastwood – Samuel Wilson, Oliver Robinson, Lynden Joyce (William Gillies, 64), Daniel Elliott (Ryan Tait, 57), Phil Watt (Ricky Starbuck, 51), Jake Wright, Terry Hawkridge, Declan Dunn, Tyler Blake, Aaron O’Connor, Aaron Opoku (Craig Westcarr, 64)

Both Newark Town, and AFC Mansfield, are slipping in the race for the play-offs, they dropping points as the former were held to a 2-2 draw at lowly Wisbech Town, and the latter beaten 2-1 away to a Boston Town side who join the two Notts clubs on the play-off border-line.

A stoppage time equaliser from Niall Towle earned Hucknall Town a point when at Harrowby United, and Shirebrook Town were beaten 3-1 away to Ashby Ivanhoe, meanwhile, the chipping away at the foot of the table continues.

Kimberley Miners Welfare are now just two points from safety, this time picking up a battling, 3-2 win, when home to seventh place Belper United; the visitors led 2-1 at the break following goals from Jay Bruce and Kyle Bryant, Lewis Partridge netting between.

However, the second half belonged to the battling hosts and, once substitute Matthew Moffatt had equalised with a little over twenty remaining, the Stag Recreation crowd envisaged just one outcome, a home win, Finley Ryder ensuring the three points just five minutes after they’d levelled proceedings.

Although Kimberley has two, very tough matches upcoming, against the top two, the three after that are all against relegation rivals, they will be hopeful.

Clay Cross Town, following their 4-1 home win over Coalville Town, are the new leaders of Division One, and with a game in hand on second place Retford, who were inactive; Retford United meanwhile is sitting third, having played a handful more games, and picked up a routine, 6-1 win at the weekend, at home to Holwell Sports.

All six of the Badgers’ goals came in the second half, Ross Goodwin opening the floodgates early on, Charlie Dawes helped himself to a brace, with further goals coming from Kieran Knight, Jake Champion, and the evergreen Mark West.

A trio of local dust-ups also took place on Saturday, the pick being the 5-3 win for Stapleford Town at home to Dunkirk; Southwell City won 3-1 away to Selston, and there was a 2-1 win for bottom club Sandiacre Town when home to Clifton All Whites.

Elsewhere in the division there were defeats on the road for Radford, 3-0 at Pinxton, Clipstone, 2-0 at Blackstones, and for a shell-shocked Rainworth Miners Welfare, who went down 5-1 at Staveley Miners Welfare.

Leading 1-0 early on through a Callum Brooks effort, the hosts proceeded to net five times in the final twenty-five minutes, three of which came in the closing minutes, to emphatically overturn the deficit they had.

Peter-Mann Five Star Performance By Eastwood

*Article provided by Peter Mann (Senior Correspondent).

*Main image @JayPhoto1993 action between Deeping Rangers and Eastwood Community.

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