Yaxley win a thrilling semi-final, vital victory for Deeping Rangers and full Easter Weekend local non-league fixture list

Marley Hamilton’s hat-trick and a strike from skipper Jay Chilvers earned ‘The Cuckoos’ a 4-4 draw before they triumphed 5-3 in a penalty shoot out. New signing Aziz Mhamdi scored twice for FC Peterborough with Derrick Dadzie and Vitor Vaz also scoring.

Yaxley will now play United Counties Premier Division South rivals Eynesbury Rovers in the final next month.

Elsewhere Deeping Rangers won a crucial game towards the bottom of the United Counties Premier Division North, 4-1 at Ashby Ivanhoe to move five places and five points clear of the drop zone. Harvey Thorne scored twice with Josh Randall and Ryan Cook also on target.

March Town and Nuneaton drew 0-0 in the United Counties Premier Division South. Nuneaton are 14 points clear at the top and March are fourth.

Two of Peterborough Sports’ relegation rivals were in National League North action. Alfreton Town beat Chorley 1-0, but Hereford United went down 2-0 at home to Macclesfield.

Sports remain next-to-bottom and seven points from safety. They are three points behind Alfreton and two points behind Hereford, but Sports have played more games than both.

PREVIEW

Most local non-league teams play twice over Easter.

Stamford AFC have two tough matches against play-off hopefuls Halesowen Town (away, Good Friday) and Quorn (home, Easter Monday) as they continue their battle against relegation in the Southern Premier Division Central.

Bourne Town have a huge contest at home to fellow relegation candidates Bedworth at the Abbey Lawn on Saturday. They then travel to Corby Town for a tasty Monday match.

Blackstones are at home on Saturday and Monday as they seek to build on back-to-back away wins in their fight against the drop from United Counties Premier Division North. Deeping Rangers also have two home games, both of them tricky.

There’s a United Counties Premier Division South derby on Monday, between teams at opposite ends of the table, as Yaxley host March Town.

Easter matches

Good Friday

National League North: Peterborough Sports v King’s Lynn

Southern Premier Division Central: Halesowen v Stamford AFC; Spalding United v Stourbridge.

Easter Saturday

Northern Premier Midlands Division: Bourne Town v Bedworth;

United Counties Premier Division North: Blackstones v Gresley; Deeping Rangers v Eastwood; Wisbech Town v AFC Mansfield.

United Counties Premier Division South: March Town v Bugbrooke St Michaels; ON Chenecks v Yaxley;

Thurlow Nunn Division One: FC Parson Drove v Holland; Framlingham v FC Peterborough; Holbeach Utd v Halesworth; Whittlesey Athletic v Needham Market Res.

Easter Monday

National League North: Oxford City v Peterborough Sports.

Southern Premier Division Central: Barwell v Spalding United; Stamford AFC v Quorn.

Northern Premier Midlands Division: Corby v Bourne Town.

United Counties Premier Division North: Blackstones v Melton; Deeping Rangers v Hucknall; Wisbech Town v Clay Cross.

United Counties Premier Division South: Yaxley v March Town.

Thurlow Nunn Division One: Dussindale & H v Whittlesey Athletic; Haverhill v FC Parson Drove;