Stamford AFC complete miracle escape, Yaxley safe, nine-man Bourne Town relegated after stormy clash, play-off dates set for FC Peterborough and March Town

‘The Daniels’ were bottom and 11 points from safety in January, but a 3-0 win at bottom club Royston on Saturday has confirmed another season of step 3 football with a game to spare.

Ryan Wilson fired Stamford in front on 13 minutes before prolific marksman Leon Lobjoit made it 2-0 20 minutes from time with Charlie Marzano completing the scoring in the final minute.

Second-placed Spalding United are limping towards the play-offs. They drew 2-2 at Leiston today after conceding a 95th minute equaliser. Jack Roberts and Maniche Sani scored for Spalding who are already selling tickets for their semi-final play-off match at the Sir Halley Stewart Field on Wednesday, April 29.

Spalding tickets are available here

Yaxley are also celebrating survival tonight even though they lost their final United Counties Premier Division South game 1-0 at home to Hinchingbrooke Cup Final opponents Eynesbury Rovers. That final takes place at St Ives Town FC on April 29.

But Bourne Town FC have been relegated from the Northern Premier Midlands Division after a dramatic final home game against Boldmere St Michaels. Bourne needed to win to have any chance of staying in the highest level of football they’ve reached, but it looked bad for them when Aaron Eyett was sent off for alleged foul and abusive language in the first-half.

The visitors then converted a penalty in stoppage time to take the lead and it became 2-0 early in the second-half before the 10 men hit back to draw level through Robbie Ellis and Lewis Darlington.

Bourne then won an injury time spot-kick, but Ellis was sent off, after picking up a second dissent yellow card, before it was taken and Zac Allen then saw his spot-kick saved. The nine men still had to try and win the game, but it was Boldmere who pinched the winning goal in the 95th minute.

Blackstones and Wisbech Town drew their final United Counties Premier Division North games courtesy of late equalising goals, while March Town went down 1-0 at home to Coventry United in what could be a dress rehearsal for a play-off final.

March, who finished fourth, must first win at third-placed Atherstone Town in a semi-final next Saturday (April 25).

FC Peterborough, who finished fourth, travel to Framlingham Town next Saturday for a Thurlow Nunn Division One North play-off semi-final. The city are taking good form into that match as today’s 3-1 home success over Leiston Under 23s was a fourth straight success. David Yisah (2) and Joe Halfhide scored the goals.

Whittlesey have finished ninth after a final game 1-0 win at Long Melford.

Relegated Peterborough Sports suffered an embarrassing 8-0 defeat at Worksop in their penultimate National League North fixture.

Sports were 4-0 down after 17 minutes when midfielder Elliott Whitehouse was sent off. It was 6-0 at the break and 8-0 after an hour when on-loan Birmingham City centre-back Zach Willis was also shown a red card. Remarkably the hosts didn’t manage a goal against nine men.

SATURDAY RESULTS

National League North: Worksop 8, Peterborough Sports 0.

Southern Premier Division Central: Leiston 2, Spalding Utd 2 (Roberts, Sani); Royston 0, Stamford AFC 3 (Wilson, Lobjoit, Marzano).

Northern Premier Midlands Division: Bourne Town 2 (Ellis, Darlington), Boldmere St Michaels 3.

United Counties Premier Division North: Blackstones 1 (Sennett), Harrowby Utd 1; Wisbech Town 1 (Nijjer), Ashby Ivanhoe 1.

United Counties Premier Division South: March Town 0, Coventry Utd 1; Yaxley 0, Eynesbury Rovers 1.

Thurlow Nunn Division One North: FC Parson Drove 0, Haverhill Borough 2; FC Peterborough 3 (Yisah 2, Halfhide), Leiston U23s 1; Holland FC 2, Holbeach Utd 1 (Garner); Long Melford 0, Whittlesey Athletic 1 (Kieran Hibbins).