LOCAL FOOTBALL: Whittlesey win, but '˜Mount Moulton' will be hard to climb

The pre-season title favourites have slipped off the scorching pace set by unbeaten leaders Moulton Harrox in recent weeks after firing back-to-back blanks.

But, faced with a Peterborough Sports Reserve team at PSL on Saturday (March 19) who hadn’t lost a game since August and who started the day in second place, Liam Harrold and Matt Heron both re-discovered their scoring touch.

A goal from each earned a comfortable 2-0 win - Sports also saw Dan Fountain and Dougie Jackson sent off by referee James Truman - but Whittlesey still have to climb the proverbial mountain to catch Moulton.

Ollie Maltby claimed Moulton’s 100th goal of the Premier Division season in the third minute against Sawtry on Saturday and he went on to bag all four goals in a 4-0 win. Moulton also received the boost of an extra three points without playing as they were awarded a victory following a late postponement by Deeping Rangers Reserves earlier in the season.

Moulton are now eight points clear at the top and they have a game in hand on their nearest pursuers, which they play tomorrow (March 22) against Sports Reserves under the PSL floodlights. Maltby has now reached 30 goals for the season, six more than his nearest ‘golden boot’ challenger Heron.

Pinchbeck United’s solid form continued as they won 2-1 at Ketton in a battle between fourth and sixth. Tony Edwards, after just 30 seconds, and Liam Ogden, just before half-time after the home side had equalised, scored the Pinchbeck goals.

Richaie Baines (2) and Liam Rodden scored the goals for Stilton United in a 3-0 win at Leverington, while Anthony Garmory and Daniel Woods were on target as Deeping Rangers Reserves won 2-0 against Holbeach United Reserves at Outgang Road.

ICA Sports are up to seventh after goals from Josh Smith and Andy Wayte saw off bottom club Riverside.

Uppingham have followed a terrific set of results with some bad ones. They suffered a fifth straight loss, 4-1 at AFC Stanground which enabled the city side to move above them.

Josh Staggs, Shane Cooke, Joshua Rosser and Kurt Webb scored the Stanground goals.

CHROMASPORT & TROPHIES PETERBOROUGH LEAGUE

Premier Division

AFC Stanground 4 (Staggs, Cooke, Rosser, Webb)

Uppingham Town 1

Deeping Rangers Res 2 (Garmory, Woods)

Holbeach United Res 0

Ketton 1 (Marsh)

Pinchbeck United 2 (Edwards, Ogden)

Leverington Sports 0

Stilton United 3 (R. Baines 2. Rodden)

Moulton Harrox 4 (Maltby 4)

Sawtry 0

Peterborough Sports Res 0

Whittlesey Athletic 2 (Heron, Harrold)

Riverside 0

ICA Sports 2 (Smith, Wayte)

Postponed: Thorney v Netherton United.