PINCHBECK UNITED 3 RAMSEY TOWN 0: DOUBLE-CHASING Pinchbeck cruised to the top of the Peterborough Premier Division table with an emphatic win against the defending champions on Wednesday night.
Playing under the lights at Spalding’s Sir Halley Stewart Playing Field, goals from Danny Maddison, Liam Kishere and player/boss Ian Dunn sunk Ramsey – who were reduced to ten men in the first period.
With a place in the PFA Senior Cup final already assured, Dunn – who notched his tenth of the season in only his 16th appearance – admits it feels great to be back at the division’s summit.
He said: “It looks good, for a while we’ve been talking about having games in hand. Now we’re top and have two games in hand on Eye and four on King’s Cliffe.
“Psychologically it’s a big moment for us and it must feel pretty ominous for the others.
“But we’ve got two difficult games coming up against Coates and Netherton. If we can win them, things will be looking even better.”
Visitors Ramsey started the better, bossing the opening exchanges without ever troubling United keeper Lee Drury.
Pinchbeck’s first major attack led to a golden opportunity to take the lead, but left back Maddison saw his penalty tipped onto the woodwork before eventually dropping over the bar off the keeper’s back.
If that deflated United, they were boosted when the away side had their skipper sent off for a late lunge on Tom Gosling soon after. It was just one of a number of physical tackles put in by Ramsey, with Dunn admitting they were lucky to finish with ten men on the field.
Although Town adjusted well to losing a man, they fell behind when Maddison made amends for his earlier miss with a well-placed free-kick from 25 yards.
Pinchbeck tinkered with their formation after the interval and it paid dividends. After a number of scrambles in the Ramsey box failed to yield a second, Kishere doubled their advantage with a smart finish from Dunn’s flick-on 25 minutes from time. That was the ex-Sleaford Town man’s first goal in red and black.
There was still time for the player/boss to enter double figures for the campaign too, firing home from eight yards after an excellent run and cross from Andy Law.
Pinchbeck are now two points clear of second-placed Eye Sports in the race for the title, with games at Coates Athletic on Saturday (3pm) and Netherton United on Tuesday night (7.45pm) to come next.
Pinchbeck: Drury, Clay, Marshall, Hocking, Maddison, Langford (Gray 70), Kishere (Lawrence 75), Maltby, Relf (Law 60), Dunn, Gosling. Not used: Butler, Roberts.