Boss Chapman frustrated as Skegness Town pay the penalty at Horncastle

Scott Williams was called up to the Lilywhites team.

Frustrated Skegness Town boss Nick Chapman expressed his disappointment after being found wanting against East Lindsey rivals Horncastle.

The Wongers took advantage of two penalties gifted to them by the seasiders to win 3-1 and consolidate their second place in the league table.

“You can’t give two penalties away like that and expect to get anything out of the game,” said Chapman.

“They were soft penalties, which makes it even more frustrating.”

“We took the game to them for the first 20 minutes but failed to take our chances.

“I was disappointed by their opening goal. We allowed the scorer to get in between our two defenders to get something on the cross.”

Chapman has also been irritated by the stop-start nature of the current campaign, adding: “We just haven’t been able to get any momentum going this season.”

With George Hobbins and Andy Parish suspended and Callum Lawe and Miles Chamberlain injured, the Lilywhites boss was then hit by the withdrawal of Jamie Coulson, McCauley Parker, Travis Portas and Simon Draper.

Into the squad came Herbie Nichols and Damian Howland from the Reserves.

The Lilywhites had started the game brightly and the Wongers were forced onto the back foot for the first 20 minutes.

Indeed stand-in keeper Scott Williams had had very little to do before he found himself picking the ball out of the net.

He was left stranded when Horncastle striker Luke Blondel met a cross from former Lilywhite Liam Papworth which looped over him and crept in just under the cross bar.

Five minutes later Horncastle doubled their lead with a Richard Jackson penalty after Daniel Stevens had pushed over Andrew Bullivant just inside the box.

It was a soft penalty, but Jackson was in no mood to look a gift horse in the mouth and gleefully sent Williams the wrong way.

The seasiders could have been in more trouble just before the break when an attempted clearance from skipper Courtney Warren looped over Williams, but the keeper managed to grab the ball before it crossed the line.

Skegness needed something special to get them back into the game and it arrived within five minutes of the restart. Ryan O’Loughlin’s free-kick was an absolute peach and didn’t give home keeper Lewis Burchnall a chance.

But Horncastle were in defiant mood and battled for the rest of what was a scrappy contest.

The battle resulted in another four yellow cards for the visitors.

Midway through the second half the home side were gifted a chance to extend their lead when substitute Bailey Fulton’s reckless challenge presented them with a second penalty.

Jackson again gave Williams no hope from the spot.

TOWN: Williams, Warren, Turner, Stevens, Cunliffe, Scutt, Smith, Potts, Britton, A. Nichols, O’Loughlin, Fulton, Howland, H. Nichols.

On Saturday Skegness travel to third-placed Nettleham (KO 3pm).