Stamford AFC and Spalding United maintain pushes for promotion, shock win for Pinchbeck United, Bourne prepare better than Blackstones for big Boxing Day derby

The Daniels recovered from the shock of conceding a first minute goal to equalise on 24 minutes through Lee Shaw after good work from Jack Duffy.

The visitors were back in front four minutes later, but captain Rob Morgan nodded home a Connor Bartle free kick nine minutes into the second-half to bring Stamford level again.

But they couldn’t find a winner and needed a great late save from Michael Duggan to preserve a point.

Stamford had moved back into the play-off places with a brilliant 4-0 home win over second-placed Mickleover Sports the previous Tuesday when Morgan, Tendai Chitiza, Duffy and Ashton Offler scored the goals.

Graham Drury’s team are fifth, but could well drop out of the play-off places on Boxing Day as they are without a fixture.

Spalding United kept their Northern Premier Midlands Division title bid on track with a comfortable 3-0 home win over Walsall Wood. Lewis Hilliard and Jordan Graham gave the Tulips a 2-0 half-time lead with James Clifton completing the scoring 10 minutes from time.

Spalding are second, a point behind Harborough Town, ahead of a tough trip to fifth-placed Hinckley on Boxing Day. Elliot Sandy’s team have kept four clean sheets in a row in the league.

Pinchbeck United moved off the bottom of the United Counties Premier Division North after a shock 3-1 win at play-off hopefuls Deeping Rangers.

It was just a second win of the season for the Knights who were 3-0 up through Hugo Hunt, Kelvin Ibeneme and Taylor Jaine before Tom Waumsley pulled a goal back for the home side.

March Town were a couple of minutes away from winning a big game in the Premier Division South before promotion rivals Aylestone Park grabbed an equaliser in the 91st minute. Craig Gillies had shot the fourth-placed Hares in front on the hour mark against the team in third.

Yaxley dropped points to bottom club Leicester Nirvana at Leading Drove. Ryley Nicholson-Barfoot scored both goals for the Cuckoos in a 2-2 draw.

Leaders Bourne Town will go into their big Division One Boxing Day derby at Blackstones in better spirits than their hosts.

Goals from Shaun Archer, Henry Dunn and Zak Munton enabled The Wakes to stretch their lead at the top to nine points with a 3-0 win over fifth-placed Kirby Muxloe at the Abbey Lawn, but Stones went down 2-1 at Dunkirk despite a Jack Wilson goal.

FC Peterborough, Holbeach United and Whittlesey Athletic were all winners in Thurlow Nunn Division One North.

Mario Neves (2), Ayman Trabelsi and Abulai Sanha scored for the city side in a 4-2 success at Cornard United, while George Frost and Sam Harris netted for Holbeach in a key 2-1 win over AFC Sudbury Reserves which lifted the Tigers to sixth. They are outside the play-off places on goal difference.

Peterborough Sports lost 4-1 at home to Tamworth in the National League North.

Sports v Tamworth report

Full Boxing Day fixture list under Saturday’s results.

RESULTS

Saturday, December 23

National League

North Division: Peterborough Sports 1 (Nicholson), Tamworth 4.

Southern League

Premier Division Central: Stamford AFC 2 (Shaw, Morgan), Bromsgrove Sporting 2.

Northern Premier League

Midlands Division: Spalding United 3 (Clifton, Hilliard, Graham), Walsall Wood 0.

United Counties League

Premier Division North: Deeping Rangers 1 (Waumsley), Pinchbeck United 3 (Hunt, Ibeneme, Jaine); Wisbech Town 1 (Reed), Lincoln United 5.

Premier Division South: Aylestone Park 1, March Town 1 (Gillies); Yaxley 2 (Nicholson-Barfoot 2), Leicester Nirvana 2.

Division One: Bourne Town 3 (Archer, Dunn, Munton), Kirby Muxloe 0; Dunkirk 2, Blackstones 1 (Wilson).

Thurlow Nunn League

Division One North: Cornard United 2, FC Peterborough 4 (Neves 2, Trabelsi, A. Sanha); Holbeach United 2 (Frost, Harris), AFC Sudbury Res 1; Norwich CBS 6, FC Parson Drove 1; Needham Market U23s 1, Whittlesey Athletic 2.

FIXTURES

Tuesday, December 26

National League

North Division: Bishop’s Stortford v Peterborough Sports.

Northern Premier League

Midlands Division: Hinckley LR v Spalding United.

United Counties League

Premier Division North: Sleaford Town v Pinchbeck United; Wisbech Town v Deeping Rangers.

Premier Division South: March Town v Yaxley.

Division One: Blackstones v Bourne Town.

Thurlow Nunn League

Division One North: Swaffham Town v Holbeach United.