Horncastle revel in big pre-season win to claim Hotchkin Cup

​The result continued an encouraging pre-season for Horncastle as they prepare for the new Lincolnshire Premier League season which begins on Friday, August 15 with the visit of Sleaford Town Development.

And joint-boss John Rawdon was delighted with the manner in which they won the game.

He said: “It was a really good occasion in front of a really big crowd to compete in what is always a keenly-contested affair between fierce local rivals.

"Woodhall won it a couple of years ago and we took it back last year after winning by the odd goal, and this year I set the challenge to our lads that we need to be better than them, move the ball and reflect the fact we’re in the higher league.

"We’ve given a really good account of ourselves against teams from higher up the ladder than us and Saturday was a chance for it to go the other way where we’ve got to ask questions of them.

"In the year we’ve been in charge, creating chances and taking them has been an issue but the lads delivered and did everything we wanted them to do on the day.”

Next up for Horncastle is a match played in memory of John Rawdon Snr, the father of current joint-managers John and Will, as the Wongers take on a Boston United XI on Friday night.

Rawdon Jnr added: “Friday will be a different challenge. They’ll come with a different way of playing as they’re always young, energetic and fit and move the ball well in trying to retain possession.

“So it’ll be another tough test for us and a sterner test which our players need to understand. Saturday was really good but we’re going to have some tougher tests in the run up to the first game of the season and we need to start putting those final preparations in.

"We’re still looking at one or two more players who haven’t yet decided if they’re signing yet, but there are three or four new faces in the pipeline and by the end of this week the squad will have settled down as we get ready for another big game in front of another big crowd.”