Depleted Skegness Town are well beaten by ambitious Rugby Town in opening friendly
A very depleted Skegness Town were well beaten 6-0 at home in their opening friendly with UCL Premier South side Rugby Town on Saturday.
Joint boss Chris Rawlinson said they had considered cancelling but elected in the end to honour the fixture.
“It was a tricky one,” he said. “Although our opponents were at the same level as us, they have invested heavily to go straight back up after relegation last year.
“They were very good while we flattered to deceive, though we were missing eight first teamers.
“It would have been very easy to call it off with our bench full of 16-years-olds.
“But we didn't want to do that as a club as Rugby were coming up and had arranged accommodation and all that. Plus it was income for our club.
“So we decided to give it a go, but they were a bit too good for us for the side we had out.
“We did create chances first half, which was pleasing, but we didn't take them and our new-look back four conceded too easily.
“But by the second half we had two 36-year-olds and four 16-year-olds on the pitch, so it became a real stretch.
“It could have gone better. Did we get much out of it? Probably not, except for seeing areas in which we need to improve.”
Aaron Nuttall and Charlie Tilley combined to set up Rivel Mardenborough to open the scoring on 11 minutes and 10 minutes before the break Nuttall cut the ball back for Charlie Tilley to tuck home a near post volley.
Mardenborough turned provider as Tilley grabbed his second just before half-time and straight after the break, Mardenborough again assisted with Sam Tye heading into the net.
Nuttall won a penalty on 80 minutes but failed to convert.
But Academy midfielder Alex Dulgheru came off the bench to head Steph Morley's corner into the net with 10 minutes left and Nuttall finally got his goal in the last minute when he raced onto a ball down to the middle to finish one-on-one with the keeper.
After a scheduled midweek visit by Holbeach United, Skegness next host Corby Town on Saturday (1pm) and then Scunthorpe United on Tuesday, 14th July (7pm).