Jimmy Dean won the battle of two managerial hardmen as Peterborough Sports got their title push back on track, 50-up for Sparrow in vital Yaxley success
Dean, a combative performer on the local non-league circuit, saw his Peterborough Sports side ease to a 3-0 win over a Royston side bossed by former Peterborough United skipper Steve Castle in a Southern League Premier Division Central clash.
It’s safe to assume Castle has probably had better nights. His team were held up by chaos on the A1 which led to a delayed kick-off, and some of his players took an age to find a forward gear.
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Hide AdNone of this would have bothered Dean who saw his side shake off their own recent lethargy to win comfortably and keep in touch with the other members of the top three, leaders Coalville and third-placed Banbury, who both won potentially tricky away matches.
The margin of victory could have been greater. Dan Lawlor saw a third-minute penalty well saved by visiting ‘keeper Joe Welch with the number one redeeming himself after tripping the lively Jordan Nicholson.
Nicholson opened the scoring after 27 minutes with a tap-in after passes from Josh McCammon and Dan Jarvis had opened Royston up and two goals at the start of the second-half from Ryan Fryatt and Jarvis ensured Sports could coast home in the final 35 minutes.
Fryatt headed home a corner at the far post before Jarvis delivered the quality moment of the night with a curling left-footer from 20 yards.
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Hide AdRoyston kept battling, Castle wouldn’t accept anything less, but they were hampered by a couple of injuries and rarely threatened Lewis Moat’s goal. Moat was beaten twice, but both times an assistant referee’s flag cut short the celebrations.
Sports move on to struggling St Ives on Saturday (November 20) when they will hope to close the current three-point gap to Coalville. They might also to see a bit more from star men Michael Gash and Dion Sembie-Ferris.
P’boro Sports: Lewis Moat, Isiah Bazeley, Johnny Herd. Ryan Fryatt, Richard Jones, Dan Lawlor, Josh McCammon, Dan Jarvis, Dion Sembie-Ferris, Michael Gash, Jordan Nicholson. Subs: Decarrey Sheriff, Lewis Hilliard, Brad McGowan, Matty Miles, Luke Warner-Eley.
Matt Sparrow claimed his 50th goal for the club as Yaxley secured a vital 4-2 win at fellow strugglers Soham Town Rangers in the Northern Premier League Midland Division.
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Hide AdSparrow opened the scoring for the Cuckoos in the 15th minute only for the home side to equalise within 60 seconds. Dan Cotton and Sparrow both scored in the space of three second-half minutes to put Yaxley firmly in control and Lewis Baughan completed the scoring in the 90th minute after Soham had pulled a goal back.
The win moved Yaxley up to 15th.