Bourne Town breathe life into relegation battle, more home comforts for Stamford AFC, nervy finale ahead for Blackstones and Deeping Rangers
Bourne Town are refusing to lie down and die at Northern Premier Midlands Division level.
A 90th minute header from Robbie Ellis delivered a vital 1-0 win for ‘The Wakes’ at Corby Town on Easter Monday. Bourne are now within a place and two points of safety with three games to go, two of which are at home including next Saturday’s visit of second-placed Carlton Town.
Stamford AFC are threatening to pull off one of non-league football’s all-time 'great escapes’. ‘The Daniels’ were bottom and 11 points from safety in January, but a battling 1-0 win over play-off hopefuls Quorn at the Zeeco Stadium moved them two points and two places clear of the bottom four with four games to go.
Alex Collard scored a first-half goal for Stamford before their visitors imploded by suffering two red cards in the final 20 minutes. Stamford, who attracted a Bank Holiday crowd of 430, are unbeaten in their last 10 homes games. Their last defeat at the Zeeco arrived in November.
Second-placed Spalding United won 2-0 at Barwell as they play out time before the play-offs. Ben Fowkes and Yusifu Ceesay scored for ‘The Tulips.’
Blackstones’ winning run in the United Counties Premier Division ended at three games and a 2-0 home reverse at the hands of Melton Town Town pushed them back into the bottom two. It’s tight down there though with five teams separated by two points, including Deeping Rangers who lost 1-0 at home to Hucknall.
The three teams above Stones all have just one more game to play. Stones have two games left and finish the season at home to relegated Harrowby.
Fourth-placed March Town won 6-1 at third-from bottom Yaxley in the Premier Division South with different players on the scoresheet.
Whittlesey Athletic won 4-2 at Dussindale and Hellesdon in Thurlow Nunn Division One North with goals from Kyle Hibbins, Kieran Hibbins, Alfie Fryett and Isaac Jobling.
Peterborough Sports were relegated from National League North after a 2-0 loss at Oxford City.
RESULTS
National League North: Oxford City 2, Peterborough Sports 0.
Southern Premier Division Central: Barwell 0, Spalding United 2 (Fowkes, Ceesay); Stamford AFC 1 (Collard), Quorn.
Northern Premier Midlands Division: Corby Town 0, Bourne Town 1 (Ellis).
United Counties Premier Division North: Blackstones 0, Melton Town 2; Deeping Rangers 0, Hucknall Town 1; Wisbech Town 0, Clay Cross Town 0.
United Counties Premier Division South: Yaxley 1 (Haskins), March Town 6 (Allen, Francisco, Green, King, Cotton, Henson).
Thurlow Nunn Division One: Dussindale & Hellesdon 2, Whittlesey Athletic 4 (Fryett, Kieran Hibbins, Kyle Hibbins, Jobling); Haverhill Borough 2, FC Parson Drove 1.